The NBA board of governors voted Thursday to approve a 22-team format and resume the 2019-20 season in Orlando. The league will next look to get approval from the Players Association on Friday in order to approve the proposal, which is widely expected to pass.
"The Board's approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "While the COVID-19 presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts. We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways."
We talked about the basics of the format on Wednesday here at BSJ but more specific details were revealed today by the league, along with reporting from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. A closer look at the particulars and what they mean for both the NBA and the Celtics this summer and beyond.