NBA to allow practice facilities to open May 1 in states with eased stay-at-home orders: report
FOX NEWS - The NBA is reportedly going to ease restrictions with regard to opening practice facilities in states that are beginning to relax their coronavirus stay-at-home orders, according to a report.
ESPN reported Saturday that voluntary individual workouts could begin in states such as Georgia as soon as next week, on May 1, citing Adrian Wojnarowski's league sources.
Wojnarowski tweeted about the news Saturday and said this new development doesn't mean the league will attempt to salvage the current season, which was suspended until further notice back in March.
"NBA's decision on opening practice facilities to players in markets where governments may be loosening stay-at-home orders doesn't mean a resumption of season is imminent," he wrote. "The NBA is still unsure on if/when it can play again. But getting players safely into gyms was a priority."
The league is also reportedly deciding how it will help teams in hotspot markets where virus lockdown regulations and stay-at-home orders are still in full effect.
"If our players can travel and play at a 24-Hour Fitness in Atlanta, they should be able to have access to our facilities," one general manager told ESPN.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday on Twitter that the state would be reopening certain nonessential businesses for limited operation in light of the state's encouraging coronavirus data.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were more than 924,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus nationwide and over 53,000 deaths.