Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie Tweets on NBA's Potential Return Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
May 11, 2020
Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie posted a tweet thread early Monday morning discussing the potential return of the NBA and saying the league should cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
"If a vaccine won't be readily available for 12-18 months (could be wrong), why wouldn't we cancel the season?" Dinwiddie tweeted. "Especially since any championship won this year will have a major asterisk and we don't play for JUST the regular season. But Maybe that's the #LastDance talking."
The NBA has remained publicly committed to finishing the season, which was indefinitely postponed in March after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. The league has been in constant conversation about potential ways to host games safely without fans.
Dinwiddie discussed the so-called "bubble" scenario, which would see players sequestered in one location like Disney World or Las Vegas, and advocated for a potential Christmas start for next season.
"Regardless, it also seems like a return to play results in a quarantine bubble scenario. If that's the case you're asking guys to leave their families for several months and remain in an enclosed area which seems difficult at best. Assuming you do go down this route and our desire not to conflict with football you could get the Christmas start date that executives have wanted for a minute and avoid the moral hazard of forcing play during peak contagion.
"Would probably look like renting out a section of Disney world and allowing 5-10 or so family slots per player to make it desirable. Test to get in. Organized entry dates if there are people that exit. And do a complete season. Almost aau/summer league style. Play games from 10am-10pm. Would dominate tv considering the lack of live sports and assuming it would be difficult to continue reality tv shows as well people at home wouldn't have many alternatives.
"Can also make games more interactive, trivia, QR code's etc that present rewards to encourage active viewership and participation which I would guess would actually boost revenue. (Call me NBA y'all know I got ideas"
Dinwiddie's tweet thread did not acknowledge the financial concerns of canceling the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
A force majeure clause in the CBA requires players to give up approximately one percent of their salary for every game canceled. Players have already begun forfeiting 25 percent of their checks in order to potentially cover any losses caused by the pandemic. If the players are paid above their CBA-mandated percentage of basketball-related revenue for the 2019-20 season, they will have to pay that money back at a future point.
Canceling the season now would, however, give the NBA several months of planning and provide fans with entertainment via free agency and the draft. The NFL had success doing its offseason virtually, and the NBA could follow its model while preparing players and teams for a "bubble" in the fall, with hopes of returning to regular game action when there is a vaccine.