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Report: LeBron, Giannis, Steph Curry, More Stars in Favor of NBA Resuming Season
May 12, 2020
LeBron James and the biggest stars in the NBA have reportedly "formed a united front to resume the 2019-20 season," which has been on hiatus because of the coronavirus, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
NBPA President and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul arranged a private conference call Monday that reportedly included James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday the NBPA was polling players about whether they wanted the season to continue.
The players' association denied the report and said it "has not authorized any formal poll of its players," per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
The league has been patient about a potential return, with Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly saying a decision didn't need to be made in May, per Wojnarowski.
Teams were allowed to reopen facilities last week, though some organizations must remain closed for at least several more weeks based on local restrictions.
Some team executives and agents have reportedly called for the NBA to cancel the remainder of the season, according to Jabari Young of CNBC.
However, there is at least some support among players to return and determine a champion.
The stars on the call carry a lot of weight with 71 combined All-Star appearances and nine MVP awards among the nine players Hayes listed.
Though James and Antetokounmpo would have a lot to gain with a return—the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks would be expected to contend for the title—that's not the case with all the others. Curry and Lillard are on teams that would not currently land in the playoff field, while Durant hasn't played all season while recovering from an Achilles injury.
As Haynes noted, a canceled season could have lasting effects regarding the collective bargaining agreement.
This group of high-profile players could help push the league toward a restart.