NBA 'Will Be The Model' For Returning According To Warriors Broadcaster
(KPIX) -- It's been over 100 days and counting since the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL have played a live event. That draught is expected to end next month when at least two of the country's four prominent leagues return like we've never seen before.
Despite rising coronavirus case numbers in Florida, the NBA plans to resume its season on July 30 at the Disney World complex in Orlando. Players will enter the "bubble city" in just over two weeks, but some have reportedly expressed concern about Disney staff members that will be constantly entering and exiting the bubble.
Last week, the league submitted a 113-page document to teams which outlined safety measures a procedures for the months-long experience. The league has not announced any changes to their plan, but there seems to be skepticism it will actually happen.
"They have sought out the best advise academically, the best health and safety advise, and the best logistics advise," said Warriors television play-by-play man Bob Fitzgerald. "They will be the model that every other sport will follow."
Fitzgerald is nearing a quarter-century calling games for the Warriors and spent almost three decades hosting a sports talk radio show on KNBR. He was expecting to announce men's and women's basketball at the Olympics in Tokyo, but the games were pushed back a year because of the pandemic.
He's spending the idle portion of his work schedule staying connected with Warriors brass. Even though Golden State isn't one of the 22 teams headed to Orlando, they've expressed optimism to Fitzgerald about NBA's plan to re-start.
"If any sport can do it, it'll be the NBA," he said. "Everyone's being heard and everyone's concerns are being considered."
Players have until Wednesday to opt-out of a trip to Orlando, but will not be paid if they decide to stay home.
The Warriors likely won't play another game until December at the earliest.
