A group of NBA superstars, led by NBA Players Association president Chris Paul, held a conference call on Monday to discuss the possibility of resuming the 2019-2020 NBA season. On the call, Paul, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry all pledged their support towards resuming the season if proper safety measures were to be taken.
The groups’ support is expected to have a prominent sway over the league’s final decision, which is still very much up in the air. NBA commissioner Adam Silver hosted a different conference call with players on Friday in which he expressed that all possible measures would be taken to ensure player safety if the season were to resume.
Resuming the season has been a contentious topic among NBA players and staff. While teams with title aspirations appear to be on board with resuming play, many teams that are out of playoff contention do not want to risk their health and safety to finish a season in which they have nothing to play for. Many players are also worried a cancellation will negatively affect the collective bargaining agreement, resulting in a lower salary cap and lower salaries for potential 2020 free agents.
Silver stated that a decision doesn’t have to be made until mid-June, giving the league time to scope out the level of support for resuming the season among players. National Basketball Players Representatives have started contacting players asking if they want to try and continue the season.
