Josh Lewenberg: Serge is hosting a talent show on IG Live right now. His foundation will donate $20K to COVID-19 relief in the winner’s city (the winner also gets a signed Ibaka jersey). DeMar just crashed it and said he’ll match Serge’s $20K donation. Good stuff from a couple Raptor greats. pic.twitter.com/SMu9epIifg
More on Coronavirus
Bill Oram: Lakers GM Rob Pelinka just concluded a conference call with local writers and said, among many other things, that “in a time like this, a friend like Kobe (Bryant) is especially missed.” Here’s his complete thought: pic.twitter.com/mf1vgVjL9x
The National Basketball Players Association stressed during Tuesday’s conference call with NBA agents that no decision has been made about resuming the season, a league source confirmed. The agents were also informed that there hasn’t been a consensus on a cutoff date to make a decision. However, the NBPA did reiterate how owners could withhold 25% of players’ remaining salary if the season is canceled. Predraft guidelines along with the uncertainties with this season’s revenue sharing and next season’s salary cap were among other topics.
The pay reduction would not affect players waived before March 13 or those on two-way contracts. The source said the owners would most likely deduct 15% from players’ remaining salary since they already withhold 10% in escrow. That would give them the 25% needed.
The agents were told the NBA has yet to do an audit for this season due to the uncertainty involving the remainder of the campaign. As a result, the dollar amount of players’ portion from the league’s revenue sharing has yet to be determined, agents were told. Agents were also informed that next season’s salary cap won’t be determined until after the audit.
Karl-Anthony Towns is in the throes of the crisis with his mother, who has been hospitalized and on a ventilator since being diagnosed with COVID-19 weeks ago. The bond between Saunders and Towns was forged years ago, and it has never been more important. “I’ll just say that his strength and the strength that he’s shown for his teammates and just for him being able to share is not just admirable, but it’s something that he should be commended for, the way he was able to bring attention … to safe practices and social distancing and doing the right things right now and being ultimately part of a solution,” Saunders said.
Real Madrid reached an agreement with the players to reduce their salaries by 20% due to the coronavirus pandemic, as reported by AS. The reduction of the salaries will be by 10% if Liga (football season) will resume (even behind closed doors).
Since the news of the NBA’s hiatus nearly four weeks ago, the Sixers' staff has been committed to helping the team’s players through all facets of this crisis. “From Day 1, we were ready to take care of our players,” said Lorena Torres, the team’s Performance Director, who was creating individualized workout plans the night the NBA announced its suspension. “We were prepared … and we are a team that believes in individualization, covering individualized needs,” Torres said. “But it’s more than just physical plans, it’s also about the mental and nutritional side of it.”
Torres worked closely with JaeHee Cho, the Sixers’ Executive Chef. “It was actually really incredible to see all the different talented people, and people at the top of their field, all working for the Sixers,” Cho said, “and all of a sudden the goal wasn't how do we win basketball games anymore, it was how do we keep everyone healthy and fed properly during a pandemic? What does that actually mean? “It was an incredible amount of information being exchanged, and from a professional development point of view, it was pretty cool to see how fast we could mobilize actions and get things done.”
Two weeks ago, former Kentucky star Karl-Anthony Towns announced his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, was not only diagnosed with COVID-19, but had since been placed in a medically induced coma. In our first public update since that announcement, UK head coach John Calipari told fans “Ms. Jackie” was still fighting for her life in the hospital.
There was no word of an update on how Towns’ mom, Jacqueline Cruz, had been doing since then until Monday, when John Calipari, Towns’ college coach at Kentucky, said she is still in the hospital. Calipari held a Facebook Live chat and said he has been getting updates from Towns’ father, Karl Sr., on Cruz’s condition in a New Jersey hospital. “She’s fighting. She’s there …” Calipari said. “Keep praying for her. Send her unbelievably positive thoughts, and I just can’t wait until she gets out of that hospital.”
“Ms. Jackie, Karl-Anthony Towns’ mother, is still in that hospital fighting. She’s there,” Calipari said in a Facebook Live video stream Monday evening. “We get updates, every single day we get an update from Karl Sr. about how she’s doing from the nurses at the ICU.” Most importantly, Calipari asked fans to continue to pray for her and send positive thoughts her way during this difficult time. “Keep praying for her, send her unbelievably positive thoughts,” the Kentucky head coach said. “I can’t wait until she gets out of that hospital. It’s been a tough road.”
The Mavericks are set to Dirk Nowitzki’s jersey at the start of next season. During the ceremony, taking place during the team’s second game, the hope was to also unveil the model a Nowitzki statue—no doubt in his signature one-legged jumper pose—that will eventually stand outside the American Airlines Center. Now, that might not happen. “You know, this obviously slowed it down,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told me in a recent interview. “The hope was to have a model ready to show the second game of this coming season when we retire his jersey. We’ll have to see how everything plays out.”
Mike Vorkunov: NBPA held a call with agents today. One of the things they told them was to expect what was described as a large reduction in BRI for 2021. But there were no concrete details about free agency. The salary cap should be calculated fairly and not off 2020 as a springboard number.
The writings were on the wall and FIBA Europe confirmed today the obvious. No basketball tournaments will be held this summer and the fate of Eurobasket 2021 will be decided on Thursday. Per the press release: The FIBA Europe Board convened on Tuesday to discuss and take decisions about upcoming events. The meeting, which took place via video conference, was chaired by FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel, with FIBA President Hamane Niang, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak also in attendance.
With the coronavirus pandemic gripping much of society and four Nets having tested positive for COVID-19, Joe Harris reassured fans he is healthy — albeit stuck in quarantine and having to find creative ways to do what he’s best known for: shoot the rock. “Yeah, everybody is good health-wise thankfully,” Harris said Monday in an Instagram Live session on the NBA account. “Obviously crazy times for everybody, but definitely fortunate on my side of things that everything is going well.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic and his Kings and Serbian National Team teammate Nemanja Bjelica have partnered with the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation to donate medical-grade masks, ventilators and other needed supplies to hospitals in Serbia to support patients who test positive for COVID-19, those who have been exposed or at high risk.
“I feel like they need our help right now,” Bogdanovic told The Athletic. “It doesn’t matter where you donate, where you’re trying to help, I feel like the whole world needs some kind help. So it’s good to be there (to help), especially in this tough time. I’m just following the example of others I saw and I hope I will be an example for someone else.” According to the U.S. Embassy in Serbia, there are 2,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 58 deaths as of Monday. Commercial flights in and out of Serbia have been suspended indefinitely.
Bogdanovic plans to continue to monitor the happenings around the world and how he might be able to help. He also believes players can begin to look at their lives from a bigger perspective and what they might want to pursue after basketball. “I feel like everyone should see what is going on and what it might be like when you’re retired,” Bogdanovic said. “That’s what you can learn from this situation, and follow the rules that the government is giving us, the World Health Organization as well, for this pandemic to go away as quickly as it can.”
NBA player Isaiah Thomas, a Tacoma native and former Washington Huskies star, is donating more than 1,000 meals to those in the UW Medical Center community impacted by COVID-19. The two-time NBA All Star will be donating the meals on April 7 and 14 at three main UW Medical Center locations.
Dane Moore: Gersson Rosas shared on a conference call with Minnesota media that there is no update on Karl-Anthony Towns' wrist injury. The more pressing issues in Karl's life are being prioritized.
The NBA would suspend its season indefinitely a month later, but the local playground courts remained, the city parks that promised another game. "It gave you a toughness," Crawford says. "You learn so much shooting on double rims or shooting on courts that are uneven. I actually had an outdoor court named after me in Seattle because I was going there so much."
Though this season was the first time he was not on an NBA roster, Crawford could be found in gyms around his hometown, playing in tournaments he organized or dominating an open run much like he has throughout his career. "For a lot of guys, I know for me especially, that's where I honed my skill," he says.
PARKS AND BASKETBALL courts are being closed in major cities across the country. Rims are being disabled -- chained shut, boarded up or removed altogether. It's happening at city parks in Fort Worth, San Diego, Memphis, New Orleans and Louisville. "I hate to say it. I'm sorry about it," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said at a press briefing on March 26. "But your life's more important than the next pickup game." It's happening in basketball-crazed Indiana. "The patterns of use we are seeing in our parks concerns me greatly," said Linda Broadfoot, the director of Indy Parks and Recreation, in a news release announcing the closures.
"It's definitely crazy," said Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, who grew up just outside of Houston, in Katy, Texas. As someone who loves the game, he is heartened by the fact that people still want to play. But he also realizes the severity of the moment. "It wouldn't have stopped if they didn't take the rims down," Fox said. "People want to continue to play, but you have to think about the safety of others, the safety of people's kids and the elderly. I don't think it's a bad idea. It shows how important the game of basketball is to people that they're still trying to find a way to play. But it should always be safety first."
Shams Charania: In being fiscally responsible during coronavirus pandemic, the Lakers are planning to ask a small group of senior level staff to voluntarily defer 20 percent of their salary, sources tell @The Athletic @Stadium.
James Ham: Bogdanovic, Bjelica and Vlade and Ana Divac donate medical supplies to Serbia during the coronavirus epidemic. pic.twitter.com/gs8Deilswt
Emiliano Carchia: OFFICIAL: Legabasket Serie A is over
So many events that we’re so used to coming aren’t going to be there. How do you have a season? Do you think they should, by any means? There’s been talk about going to Vegas or Atlantic City or something, some neutral site? Is that feasible? Jared Dudley: Vegas is the only place that you could do this at. And the reason why, because it is the only place that has the infrastructure of hotel rooms, convention centers, where you don’t even have to go outside to be able to play a basketball game, eat food, sleep in a hotel room. You got the Mandalay Bay, Delano and the Four Seasons, you don’t have to go outside. You can go to every arena. So, if you wanted to bunker down, lock everybody down, to be able to play in there, no one in, no one out.
Jared Dudley: But then, the question is, are we going to be a society by June, July, that we have enough testing for security, hotel personnel, cleaning crew? And now they can’t leave, because if they go home … they have to stay on site for 60 days, maybe 90. And that’s where I get to the point, are we going to get there. Because it’s a ticking thing. You have to be able to July 1, start the season, maybe July 15 to have the season and not affect it. So, you have a time date. We hear the president, we hear Dr. Fauci, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. Are people still not working? Are you allowed to do your job? Are you (reporters) not going to be able to cover it at the arena? No. It makes it less and less likely. For me being less optimistic. I’m hoping we find a vaccine. But if something crazy doesn’t happen, I just don’t see it. And another thing people aren’t talking about, one of the biggest things, let’s just say, “Hey, as a society, yes, we can do that.” Are the players going to be ready when you’re not allowed to use any facilities to work out? We have a stay at home order in California. I technically can’t work out. I have a treadmill and I have an elliptical.
Oh no. Jared Duley: I’m not allowed to shoot a basketball. For four months! And you’re going to give me two to three weeks? To be ready for playoffs and regular season? And be able to have my body play without injuries? That’s the last component where you’re like, “Hey, what’s feasible?” Because the NBA will give you two weeks, that’s not enough. You will 100 percent see injuries you haven’t seen because of that.
NBA Central: Woj says the league would like to a crown a champion by Labor Day, per @GetUpESPN pic.twitter.com/MPZbPku9TV
Adrian Wojnarowski joins Scott Van Pelt as he details the latest developments after Adam Silver spoke about the current state of the NBA. Woj says testing will be a key part in determining when it is safe to continue the 2019-2020 season. He adds the league is still focused on finishing this season in some form.
Emiliano Carchia: SOURCES: FIBA decisions on Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and Continental Cups coming on Thursday The decision-making process will happen as it follows: TODAY: FIBA Europe Board Meeting to discuss options for the rescheduling of EuroBasket Men’s and Women’s
Danilo Gallinari: I’m from Italy. My country had been dealing with COVID-19 issues for more than a month at that point. Sporting events there had come to a stop. I figured maybe something had happened over here, too. But no one was telling us anything, and none of my teammates had any sort of personal experience with what the virus was doing to people like I did. So when they sent us back to the locker room, I don’t think anyone else on our team was thinking what I was thinking. They were just really confused. And the scene was unlike anything I’d ever been a part of. Our arena gets so loud during our games, but while we were walking off the court, it was like you could hear a pin drop. Back in the locker room, it seemed like we were waiting forever to find out what was going on. We were all just sitting around trying to predict what was up. After a minute or so, I spoke up. “Guys,” I said, “my guess is that this is something related to that virus. The coronavirus.”
Danilo Gallinari: As soon as I finished that sentence, a bunch of players started asking me questions. I was in the middle of the locker room just fielding questions from everybody. Guys just wanted to get information. For the most part, I wouldn’t say that anyone was scared. Me, though? I actually … was scared. I knew what was happening back in my country, and I’d had that feeling about what this might be. So I was definitely worried and scared, but mainly I just wanted to get information, too.
Danilo Gallinari: When my friend’s grandma died, the family couldn’t even see her one last time to say goodbye. The hospitals over there, they transport any deceased patients to a quarantined location for burial. But they don’t want anyone getting too close, so they don’t even tell the families where their loved ones are being taken. Can you imagine how hard that must be? Someone you’ve known and loved your entire life is just … gone. Forever. Just like that. And that situation is happening to so many families all over Italy. Once you have a parent or a loved one who is affected by the virus and they end up at the hospital, there’s a real chance that you may never see them again.
Dallas Mavericks: @sdotcurry continues to set an example! 🙌 Last week he paid for lunch & dinner for @Parkland ICU from @canerosso & Uncle Ubers. 🍕🥪 Keep supporting those local businesses during this time! #MavsSupportLocal #NBATogether
In recent weeks, officials within the NBA and NBPA have been collaborating in assessing the viability of multiple blood-testing devices for the novel coronavirus that could provide accurate results within a matter of minutes, a process that would hopefully enable the league to track the virus in what's considered a critical first step toward resuming play in the near future. Multiple league sources close to the situation said the league and players union have been looking at what sources familiar with the matter have described as "diabetes-like" blood testing in which someone could, with the prick of a finger, be tested quickly and results could be gained inside of 15 minutes.
The league sources stressed that it is in the exploratory phase only and that there is no clear timetable as to when the efficacy of any such device may be proven. They've also stressed that advances in science and medicine are proceeding at a rapid pace, with collaboration across borders, which offers hope that breakthrough solutions could be possible much sooner than later.
Chatter about potentially playing games at neutral sites -- or cities where the virus spread currently remains low -- has circulated through the league, including the potential for all teams to play in one city, or for games to be split among two locations, one in the Western Conference and one in the Eastern Conference. "If there's a will, there's a way. Logistically, it can get done," one GM said, while another cautioned against the risk of even one infected player.
Ira Winderman: Adam Silver says, "We, sports collectively, in a way, led the way in shutting down . . . we'd love to be part of the movement to restart the economy." Said, though, health concerns are priority above all.
Jorge Sierra: The Spanish League is auctioning sneakers autographed by the late Kobe Bryant (still doesn't feel real). All money goes to the fight against coronavirus 🙏 You can bid here: https://www.ebay.es/itm/303533191814
Sean Cunningham: Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, joins California Gov. Gavin Newsom at Sleep Train Arena, to talk about donating the team’s former arena & practice facility to become a surge hospital during COVID-19 pandemic. @Vivek Ranadive @Sacramento Kings @GavinNewsom
The ACB is beginning a charity auction to help Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol in their project to help relieve the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic and several Spanish stars have joined the cause.
Jerseys of historical club and NT finals, balls signed by champion teams, the trophy of the last Copa Del Rey, sneakers signed by Kobe Bryant, a signed mask of La Casa de Papel and more memorabilia will be up for grabs in the auction set up by the ACB.
The Charlotte Hornets Foundation has committed $250,000 to go towards emergency relief efforts. The funds will include contributions to the COVID-19 Response Fund administered by Foundation For The Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas and several other local nonprofit organizations to assist with immediate needs, with a portion being held to address to-be-determined future needs resulting from COVID-19, which will be granted prior to the end of 2020.
Standing alone at a lectern in an empty stadium that can comfortably seat more than 60,000 fans, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a first-of-its-kind awareness campaign, called "We Are Not Playing." All of Chicago's professional sports teams -- including the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire, Red Stars, Sky and White Sox -- have agreed to use their platforms and athletes to encourage residents of the city and surrounding area to comply with stay at home restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis.
"We'd rather be here in Soldier Field, or Wrigley, or Sox park or at the United Center or WinTrust (Arena) cheering on our players and having a good time with our friends, but this crisis has changed almost everything - and particularly our sports," Lightfoot said. "Coming to these parks would be dangerous and deadly to ourselves and our city."
Garrett Temple spends his quarantine time with his fiancée, Miss USA 2017 Kara McCullough, and their chocolate lab. He also is using the unexpected down time to study for the LSAT law school admission exam and would like to be an NBA general manager or perhaps a team owner. “This isn’t the New York people have seen,” Temple said. “No people or cars. My fiancée and I are fine. I did not test positive (for COVID-19) but some of my teammates did. We quarantined and now we’re staying at home like we’re supposed to. Just us and our dog.”
The Indianapolis Colts and Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PSE) today announced a grant opportunity designed to encourage those who can afford to give to raise a total of $200,000 for 12 community centers in Indianapolis. These centers located throughout the city are on the front lines of feeding, supporting and caring for vulnerable residents during the current COVID-19 health emergency.
If $200,000 is raised by 12 noon on Thursday, April 9, the Colts and PSE will join together to donate an additional $420,000 to the effort, representing $35,000 to help each of the centers deliver services to Hoosiers.
On Friday NBA analyst and reporter Doris Burke announced she plans to participate in a COVID-19 convalescent plasma project. The project aims to investigate plasma from people who recovered from COVID-19. Burke announced on March 27 that she tested positive for COVID-19. However, she no longer feels symptoms.
Service has been a part of Garrett Temple’s family for generations, including his father and his father’s father. And with Temple’s mother Soundra Temple-Johnson very much in the service industry as founder and CEO of LA Health & Rehab Center, he shared thanks for the risks — and sometimes sacrifices — taken on by all healthcare workers.
Garrett Temple: “I cannot say that enough. My mother is in the service industry and she has people that work for her that are scared to go to work because of the lack of protective gear. We really appreciate the courage and we thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”
Dragic, who said he will remain in South Florida, is isolating himself in his Miami home with his wife, Maja, and their two children, 6-year-old Mateo and 4-year-old Viktoria. “It’s a different experience, but I’m happy that at least I’m able to spend this time with my kids,” Dragic said. “Some families are away from each other, they cannot get back to their home country or homes. That’s something that’s really hard. But for me, yeah, we do a lot of stuff. We play different games, we have a swimming pool so they can go and swim. Just try to entertain them as much as possible. Then during the week Monday through Friday we have home schooling, so it’s a lot of work.”
Fred Katz: Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum are pledging $250K to their hometown of St. Louis to provide meals through Feeding America and St. Louis Area Foodbank. Tatum also helping in Boston. Here’s Tatum’s announcement on Instagram: instagram.com/p/B-pM7cbgypL/ pic.twitter.com/WJc11y9uvB
Like everyone else, White was stunned to disbelief with the rapid turnaround. From running the court to running for cover, in his case an eventual return home once it was safe with his brother and constant companion Will to his family's modest home in Goldsboro, North Carolina. "We didn't want my mom to be alone," Coby said. "The main thing is my mom lives here by herself. The way everything was looking it's looking like it's going to be a lot of time; it's going to get worse before it gets better. So me and my brother felt it was best to go home and be with our mom. I don't see my mom that much. So be with her in this tough time until things get better and we can go back to Chicago. Don't let her go through all this alone."
Jared Dudley: So is testing available for everyone to be able to do it? Is the curve down? Have we plateaued and can we do it in the right time frame? If it’s the right time frame, not rushed, there’s no reason. And I’m someone who likes money but that should not be the main reason for us getting back right now. That’s because you have people’s health, from the virus, health from player safety in terms of injury. We don’t have the proper stuff right now. Hopefully, we have a miracle and hopefully something changes in the next 60 days, but it’s looking more bleak by the day.
Dwyane Wade, speaking from his Los Angeles-area home on the NBA's Instagram feed, stressed the need for teamwork amid the new coronavirus pandemic. "People think it's easy to bring 15 guys together and win a championship and play as a team," he said of the NBA titles he shared in with the Heat in 2006, '12 and '13. "Right now, we're asking the whole country to play as a team, and you see how hard it is. It ain't easy to play as a team. It's hard to bring people together, to say, 'Hey, do this, this and this.' And that's what's going on right now."
Having come from an upbringing in a broken family and financial distress in the Chicago area, Wade said he appreciates the shelter-at-home difficulties for many. "In a sense, for me, I feel like we're so lucky, we're so blessed, and everyone isn't in the same position that that ones talking on the front line are," he said. "So it’s been a little hard for me to come out and put those messages out. And even though we definitely got to play as a team — to beat this, we all got to get on the same page and we definitely got to stay in and make sure we’re taking care of ourselves — it’s been hard for me to come out and say, ‘Hey, stay at home,’ this and that, because I’m living in a mansion. We have things at our home that a lot of people don’t have.”
Rose said he thinks the NBA season can be salvaged, but it will be need to be pushed into late summer, with the 2020-21 season starting in perhaps December. “The imperfect storm is going to be is when this pandemic lifts and we’re able to get people to function freely,” he said. “Each person is going to look their best because everybody is going to be eating right and getting in shape, and then we’re going to realize we still have to deal with the physical depression our country is going to be in for a long time.”
James Dolan - The Madison Square Garden chairman, who has tested positive for coronavirus, but is said to have mild symptoms, is paying arena workers in his many venues through at least May 3 and has established a $2.3 million relief fund for them. Joe Tsai - With help from the Nets’ owner, China is donating 2,000 much-needed ventilators to New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday. Cuomo singled out Tsai, his wife Clara Wu Tsai and Jack Ma, co-founder, with Tsai, of Alibaba, for helping to make it happen. Tsai has also pledged to pay Nets and Barclays Center workers through the end of May if games and events are canceled, as is expected.
The source also confirmed that the team has spoken to the Army Corps of Engineers about FedExForum being used as an overflow medical facility, if needed, to help relieve hospitals as more cases of COVID-19 are reported. Governor Bill Lee told lawmakers Wednesday that he expects the state to eventually see hospital bed shortages due to the rising number of coronavirus cases in Tennessee. As a result, hotels, convention centers and college dormitories could be used as space to help deal with new patients.
After battling the coronavirus for nine days on a ventilator inside the Intensive Care Unit at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, beloved Detroit Pistons scout Maury Hanks has been released from the hospital and is resting comfortably at home, CBS Sports confirmed on Saturday.
On Wednesday, after failing to keep his oxygen levels high enough on his own one day prior, Hanks was finally taken off the ventilator, and shortly thereafter he was able to be removed from an oxygen mask entirely. "We are lucky enough to have a happy ending," Maury's wife, Susan Hanks, texted on Saturday.
"You never know what someone can hear," Susan told CBS Sports. "I know [Maury's] worked in the basketball business a long time, but I really had no idea how many friends that we have," Susan said. "The number of people that have been reaching out is honestly mind-blowing. If he makes it through this, I don't think he'll ever be able to thank everyone that has called and checked up on him. It's just been unbelievable. The NBA family has shown up for Maury like I never could've imagined."
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday that the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and the NBA, in collaboration with Huang Ping, China's consul general have collaborated to donate one million surgical masks to be distributed to New York City's essential workers. In addition to the masks, Nets owner Joe Tsai and his wife, Clara Wu Tsai, are donating 1,000 ventilators to bolster resources during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo said that the ventilators, whose delivery is being facilitated by the Chinese government, will arrive at JFK on Saturday. "This is a big deal and it going to make a significant difference for us," Cuomo said. The NBA and WNBA, in addition to players and teams, have committed $50 million to coronavirus-related relief efforts.
Just two days before Saturday's donation, Cuomo had announced that New York's stockpile of ventilators was projected to last just six days. And New York officials have said the state is yet to reach the peak of the virus. The Alibaba Group, of which Tsai is the co-founder and executive vice chairman of, had already donated one million surgical masks and 500,000 testing kits to New York.
Tim Reynolds: President Trump on his meeting with sports commissioners today: "They want to get back. They've got to get back. They can't do this. Their sports weren't designed for it. The whole concept of our nation wasn't designed for it. We have to get back. We want to get back soon."
Adrian Wojnarowski: On conference call with Trump and pro sports leaders today, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke of a possible return to play once there was an "all clear" from public health officials, sources familiar with call tell ESPN.
Ryan Kartje: California governor Gavin Newsom said he does not anticipate sports leagues starting by September, with full stadiums, as President Trump suggested on a conference call with sports commissioners this morning.
Kyle Guy: Covid-19 took my grandpa last night. Mortality is a tough pill to swallow. You used to live down the street, now you’re with us everyday Red heart I beg you, don’t let this be your wake up call. Take this seriously & stay safe 🙏🏼
Adrian Wojnarowski: I think everybody in the league trying to kind of wrap their minds around what it would look like and what what a return for the league would look like in June, July, August. I know this. The league's hope is their goal is objective is to have a season wrapped up by Labor Day weekend and that way they could have the back end of the finals right before the start of or right at the start of football season, if at the football starting, but there's just no way for them to know what it all looks like in June. I think if we're in June and they're not right at the cusp of being able to open up camps for a couple weeks, and then play a few regular season games... If you start to get into June, and that doesn't seem like something that the league can move right into, then I think it becomes really hard to restart the league. Then you're then you're looking at such a compact.
Adrian Wojnarowski: At some point, the hardest decision Bobby is going to be: What is a legitimate representative, like tournament playoff system to really have a legitimate champion, not something that's just you know, we've only got six weeks, we've only got five weeks, we've only got five and a half weeks and say, okay, this isn't legitimate, and we have to walk away from it. I think that decision if it comes down to that it's going to be excruciating for everybody, because while you do want to financially salvage what you can, it can't be something that feels or looks or seems farcical and without credibility is how to crown a champion and have a playoff. So I I just think that's going to be a fascinating part of this when we get down to those decisions.
Adam Schefter: Scheduled participants on call with Trump: NBA – Adam Silver; WNBA – Cathy Engelbert; MLB – Rob Manfred; NFL – Roger Goodell; NHL – Gary Bettman; PGA Tour – Jay Monahan; UFC – Dana White; WWE - Vince McMahon; NASCAR – John Middlebrook or Jim France; MLS – Don Garber. Notice: No NCAA.
Nets Daily: From @NYGovCuomo this morning: thanks to @joetsai1999 and his wife Clara’s Foundation for their help in getting needed ventilators to New York State. pic.twitter.com/hFeFtJnFkA
The NBA suspended its season mid-March after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. A timetable to return isn't clear as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic. On Friday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst shared the latest school of thought from the league's inner circle, noting there is increased pessimism the NBA can resume the 2019-20 campaign: "The talks between the players union and the league this week, I've talked to both sides of this issue, and it is clear that the NBA is angling to set up a deal that enables them to shut the season down.
"Now they don't have to do that yet, and the way they're negotiating they're leaving themselves an option either way, but they're not having talks about how to restart the league, they're having financial talks about what would happen if the season shuts down, and I think there is a significant amount of pessimism right now."
Rich Kleiman, @KDTrey5's manager: 'Maybe this NBA season can't be saved'. Kevin Durant's manager, Rich Kleiman, says it's hard for him to imagine the season coming back when he looks at the projected impact of the coronavirus.
