With an NBA restart likely on the horizon, Disney World is gaining “clear momentum” in its bid to host the league.
With each day, the prospect of an NBA restart seems more and more likely. While nothing is finalized, Disney World appears to be a likely destination when the NBA ends its current hiatus per a report from The Athletic.
“The NBA is in serious discussions with Disney about the property, which has gained clear momentum over cities such as Las Vegas, sources said. It remains unclear when the games would begin, but multiple sources say the prospect of players fully training in mid-June and playing by mid-July has been the most popular and possible scenario discussed.”
Las Vegas was once seen as a likely destination, and it still could be an option, but Disney is already preparing to host the NBA according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports.
“We are confident we’ll be hosting the NBA in some fashion,” a source told Smith. “It may not be the entire league, but we believe the NBA will be here to at least finish part of their season. Still hurdles to cross, but we are preparing as if that is the case.”
This makes sense considering Disney is the parent company of ESPN and ABC, two of the stations where the playoffs and NBA Finals are broadcast.
Finishing the 2019-20 season in a “bubble” was always one of the most likely scenarios for an NBA restart. Keeping all the players, staffers, and family members in one (relatively) controlled environment makes the most sense.
Other leagues have grappled with this same idea. The NHL is considering separating the Stanley Cup Playoffs into four division “hubs.” Although it looks like MLB wants to play games in home stadiums, there was plenty of speculation that games would all move to a centralized location, either Arizona or Florida.
While the potential for an NBA restart remains fluid, the most recent reports indicate that it’s possible.
