Silver Offers 'No Clarity' On NBA Return - A Hint At Complete Season Shutdown

Commissioner Adam Silver Says There Is 'No Clarity' On An NBA Return - Or Even On When Decisions Can Be Made. We Should Take That As A Hint That the 2019-20 NBA Season Might Be Over

The optimism has its place. But as it relates to the return to play following a COVID-19 hiatus, NBA commissioner Adam Silver's recent  conference call with media members didn't leave much room for any.

“We are not in a position to make any decisions and it’s unclear when we will be,” Silver told the media Friday, via the New York Times’ Marc Stein.

Note the double-whammy here. Not only is Silver delivering a message of uncertainty regarding a return to the floor ... he's also telling us that the NBA - which was the leader in deciding on the sports shutdown and now has Silver along with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on  President Donald Trump's "Re-Open America'' sports committee - isn't even clear on when it's clear to seriously discuss a return.

“We have to get our sports back,” Trump said in announcing the formation of that committee. “I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old.”

The President's point is made. But so is Silver’s. For all of the ESPN reports on "25-day plans'' and for all of the similar guesswork, approximations and optimism, the NBA is not going to rush back into the danger zone of COVID-19. Players and owners are about to lose a fortune here, and fans are about to lose their source of passion. Yes, various states are about to allow the re-opening of non-essential businesses and public areas and yes, the NBA is surely tempted to join in.

But Silver is saying things that hint to us that the 2019-20 NBA season might simply be canceled permanently - a grim-but-honest consideration.