NBA cancelled? Here's what could happen if the 2020 season is called off after player protests
It isn't just the playoff future that's in doubt, but the NBA season itself. After all the meticulous preparation that led to the creation of an NBA bubble in order to contain the risk of the Coronavirus pandemic, it isn't the virus that's actually going to stop the tournament. The issue here is much bigger at hand and the secure bubble is just about to be ready to pop. And if it does explode, it has everything to do with the recent shooting of Jacob Blake by the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Right now, there are two questions that actually need to be answered. Will the players return to complete the season? The second being, what would happen if the season actually gets canceled in case things go completely south? This has been the constant topic of debate since August 26 and while the recent update is that players might take the court over the weekend, which may come across as bright news for sports fans across the world, there have still been calls for the tournament to be called off.
In a highly unlikely scenario, if the season indeed is called off, there's more to lose for not just the NBA as an organization but also the teams and the players, and the impact can be felt on a personal and a business level, not to mention all the strategic planning that has gone to mark the next steps and blend into the 2020-21 season. To begin with, it's all personal for the most part of the world that has been starved of sporting action ever since the breakout of the pandemic.
This also affects the planning that has gone in to get the fans a reason to tune into sports networks and catch their favorite teams and stars in action. While the NBA did that by returning to action, social evils have reared their ugly head effectively, putting the whole season in troubled waters. By August 26, Twitter was flooded with mixed reactions from fans who were in fact torn between having the game and supporting players.
So far, the season has managed to take place without any spectators, meaning a major part of the world tunes in to watch the game on television or streaming services. Cancellation of the league would do more than just hurt sentiments. Of course, while the gravity of the situation made the players feel more accountable and responsible for their community, deep down fans would still be nursing the hope of a game.
If loss of fans over outrage would be one of the setbacks, then the next would be how the teams would go from here. There have been enough games played for them to make it to the playoffs and some performances have been one of a kind. To be very fair, it isn't easy for Nuggets' Jamal Murray, Jazz's Donovan Mitchell or Mavericks' Luka Doncic to go out there and sizzle the way they did. This would mean all the hard work would be undone and that's a major sting as well.
We're not stepping into the revenue part. It's a given that the loss can rightly be termed as humongous. Then comes the whole planning in itself. What would happen to the season going forward? The 2020 Draft Lottery was done and is slated for October where teams get their picks. The new season would begin soon after and this would mean rejigging the whole calendar. Add to it the logistical nightmare it brings to the NBA. What we're trying to say is the boycott was not a bad move, in fact, it was just what the world needed — unity.
Fair point that a move like this causes major ramifications, but it was a decision taken by the players out of pure emotion. With reports pouring in of the games resuming over the weekend, there's a sliver of hope about the season not being called off. In case it does, then it will be one event the world would never forget.