Silver: NBA still hoping to open next season in arenas

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reiterated Wednesday that the league's hope is to begin next season with teams in their home arenas and with fans in the seats, though cautioned that there are still numerous unknowns to work through before any plan can be finalized.

Silver, in his annual state-of-the-league address before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, also said the protocols that allowed the league to get through a restart in a so-called bubble at Walt Disney World — such as strict adherence to mask-wearing and social distancing — proved that a balance can be struck “between public health and economic necessity."

“It's certainly our goal," Silver said, referring to playing in arenas. “But it's dependent on some additional advancements. Rapid testing may be the key here."

The NBA was the first major sports league to shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic on March 11, and it took more than four months to come up with the plan to restart the season at Disney. The league restarted with 22 franchises that came to Disney in early July, and the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers — the last two left — are nearing the three-month mark in the bubble.

League and team revenues will take a huge hit this year, partly because about 15% of the regular season was lost to the virus, partly because the 88 games that were played at Disney before the postseason and then the entire playoff run was played without fans buying tickets, food, drink and souvenirs in arenas.

“I don't have expectations of labor issues ... there's no doubt there are issues on the table that have to be negotiated," Silver said. “I think while no doubt there will be issues and difficult negotiations ahead, I think we'll work them out as we always have."

The league still hasn't decided when free agency will start,...