OKC Thunder: Creativity and adaptability at crux of Adam Silver’s update

Adaptability and creativity remain key factors as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver updated on the potential for the OKC Thunder and their peers returning to finish the season.

A week ago the OKC Thunder and Utah Jazz game was stopped prior to tip-off based on Rudy Gobert‘s positive test results. Shortly afterward the league announced the season was suspended for 30 days, however, the term indefinite period followed shortly thereafter.

It’s been a full week since that postponed game and the Commissioner sat down with Rachel Nichols (which was televised on ESPN) to provide an update and answer questions.

OKC Thunder – Jazz game postponement was first domino to fall:

First, the pair recounted how the game between the Thunder and Jazz became the catalyst that led to the suspension. Silver discussed the events which transpired leading up to that night and how decisions were made in split seconds which in hindsight all seem obvious now.

The following touches on some of the other questions from Nichols and comments Silver made.

Criteria for NBA return to action:

Nichols asked what criteria the NBA will use when electing to resume play given the CDC recommendation of no gatherings of 10 people or more. Notably, this is an updated and more aggressive figure as the initial marker was groups of no more than 50 people.

Silver empathized uncertainty (a phrase he used often in the interview and a fair caveat) but says he’s looking at three specific things:

1. When can the league restart in a normal capacity (i.e. with 19k fans in buildings)?
2. Should the NBA consider restarting without fans – and what that would mean (i.e. staff and crew around the team)?
3. Are there conditions in which a subset of healthy players could be isolated and then play a game with a charitable aspect to it?

If the league did go the route of suggestion number three above to ease back in and have a group of players isolated and playing games to entertain fans and help charity it would make a ton of sense for the revenue created to go toward the required respiratory equipment and additional COVID-19 tests.