Season resumes: players surveyed by their union

NBA players have been informally polled by their union (NBPA) to gauge their desire to resume the season, several media reports.

The championship has been suspended since March 11 due to the new coronavirus.

According to ESPN, the NBPA launched this consultation by SMS asking the players to answer yes or no to the question: do they want to replay this season? The survey would be administered by regional union representatives and the questions asked may differ slightly. But the goal is to assess the general feeling of more than 400 players.

The NBPA denied this information, saying to The Athletic that it “did not sign up and had not authorized any official polls of its players”. One of them, however, claims to have been probed. Quoted on condition of anonymity by the Los Angeles Times, he estimated that around 70% of players wanted to end the season suspended since the positive test of French Rudy Gobert.

“But 30% is a lot,” tempered the player daily. “What do you say to someone who says” + you know what, I don’t feel safe + “? Hard to argue. But there are reasons to do it because I know the NBA is one of the most safer for that. It would be strict, clean, regulated. “

Friday, during a conference call with the union and players including their representative Chris Paul (Oklahoma City), NBA boss Adam Silver pleaded for a resumption in camera, from the play-off, in one or two “bubbles”, Las Vegas and / or Disney World in Orlando. A scenario welcomed rather favorably by all basketball players reported ESPN, even if concerns related to the security of confined sites were expressed.

The fact remains that several stars did not wait to be polled to campaign for a recovery, like Lebron James on Instagram last week. According to Yahoo Sports, he took part in another conference call on Monday, initiated by Chris Paul, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis or Kevin Durant. And all seem to agree to a recovery in sanitary conditions that allow it.

Precisely, according to The Athletic, a working group including players and leaders of the NBA was to meet Tuesday during a conference call to discuss possible strategies for a return to the game.