How One of The Most Exciting NBA Seasons in Recent Memory Came To A Halt... And the Crazy Proposals They Have Made to Bring It Back By: Maher Kabir 04/01/2020 Officials discussing the cancellation of the OKC Thunder vs. Utah Jazz Matchup on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, due to word that Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the COVID-19 disease. It was March 11, 2020, and the NBA was continuing to play its scheduled slate of matchups, although the Coronavirus threat was looming in the background. The 76ers had dominated the Pistons, led by the dominance of superstar center, Joel Embiid. The Hornets won in an overall masterpiece against a formidable opponent in the Miami Heat, led by the surprising sophomore, Devonte’ Graham. These games went on as usual, but there was an eerie, almost tense atmosphere spreading throughout the NBA and the rest of the sports world. Then, it all fell apart. Vince Carter’s three in the final seconds of the Hawks and Knicks game. If the NBA season does not resume, this would have been the final game in Vince Carter’s historic NBA career. The OKC v. Utah matchup was slated to start, until word came in that Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the Coronavirus. Officials cancelled the matchup, upsetting the fans, and bringing confusion to those watching from home. However, it was a quick and necessary decision to keep the players safe from the virus, as well as the fans. The nationally televised Mavericks vs. Nuggets game had the announcers find out on air that the NBA season would go on a hiatus, and the video of Maverick’s owner, Mark Cuban’s reaction to the news completely encapsulates the utter shock that the entire NBA world had from the gravity of the news that the NBA, and almost certainly the rest of the sports world would be put on a temporary pause. 2 Although the 2020 NBA season is in jeopardy, there is little doubt that this season was one of the most exciting in recent memory. From the renewed rivalry in LA, to parity throughout the league after the fall of the Warriors dynasty, it was the first time in years where no one knew who the champions would be. There are currently 11 teams with better than 40/1 odds to win the NBA championship, much more than the 6 teams with those odds in the beginning of the 2018-2019 NBA season, according to Vegasinsider.com. The duo tandems throughout the NBA have torn apart the previous domination of superteams with so-called “Big Threes.” The Lebron and AD, as well as Kawhi and PG13 duo, have reignited the LA basketball scene, after a few years of being in hibernation. Porzingis and Doncic, as well as Embiid and Simmons, display a bright future for the NBA. KD and Kyrie, as well as Harden and Westbrook, show how flashy and high scoring duos can work in the modern NBA. Giannis and Middleton, as well as Jokic and Murray, show how team chemistry and talent can bring a team to contention. There are many more duos in the league, but those are the ones who have recently dominated the headlines and captivated fans throughout the Association. Also, the excitement brought upon the must-watch rookies in Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, has given those teams newfound hope for the future, regardless of past woes. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus Pandemic has spread throughout the world, bringing pain to those unfortunately having to fight off the illness. Players such as Christian Wood, Kevin Durant, and Donovan Mitchell, also contracted the virus, but are doing well. However, the NBA owners and players want the NBA to start as soon as possible, to bring back basketball to the fans, as well as to limit revenue losses from the hiatus of the NBA. According to Mark Cuban on ESPN’s First Take, he just wants to give fans, “something to cheer about.” There have been many proposals to bring back the NBA, and they are all quite interesting to say the least. The Proposals First of all, there is debate whether the season should go straight to the playoffs or continue with the remainder of the regular season. With around a quarter of the season remaining, there are teams such as the Pelicans, Blazers, and Kings, who are pushing for a shot at the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and they would be denied the chance if 3 the regular season is not resumed. However, in order to prevent the season from going too late into the year, it might be necessary to go straight into the playoffs. Another idea that has been floated is a play-in tourney for the final seed, which has been considered by the commissioner, Adam Silver. This would allow for these teams to fight for the final seed, but prevent the NBA season from flailing too late into the summer. People are considering shortened playoffs or bringing teams to a few cities with few cases of the virus and playing in empty stadiums there. Even ESPN analyst Jay William floated the idea that the NBA is played on cruise ships, but I don’t think those cramped spaces are the best to prevent the spread of an extremely contagious virus. Regardless, any of these ideas must follow the recommendations of the health officials in order to prevent the reinvigoration of the virus’s spread. I love the NBA and I know millions of others love it too. If the NBA were to be brought back, it would help give fans something to help them unfocus from the stresses in all of their lives, and allow for them to cheer for something we all love. 4