Adam Silver Opens Up About the NBA Bubble: 'It’s Better Than What We Had Envisioned'
As baseball and football have struggled to return during the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA's restart in a bubble has been, largely, successful. In a wide-ranging discussion, the commissioner talks about resuming play, the league's support of social justice and plans for next season.
BY CHRIS MANNIX , AUG 13, 2020
From behind two inches of plexiglass, a cloth mask covering his face and NBA basketball playing out before his eyes, Adam Silver felt a wave of emotion wash over him. It had been more than four months since the COVID-19 pandemic shut the league down, when Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive in Oklahoma City, bringing the game to a screeching halt. Everything that followed—the countless conversations with epidemiologists, the painstaking negotiations with the players union, the barrage of criticism from those who questioned the ethics of a sports league running thousands of rapid-response tests when the surrounding communities struggled to get just one—had led to this, a socially distanced seat for the NBA’s reopener, Lakers-Clippers, an L.A. rivalry in central Florida, a marquee event playing out in front of 300 or so virtual fans. “It was a bit overwhelming to see,” Silver told Sports Illustrated. “To see our players together playing basketball, that what we had worked through over many months on paper, on our computer screens, had come to life, I’d say it was moving to me.”
The NBA bubble isn’t really a bubble. It’s a quarantined environment spread out over four hotels and three arenas, with some 1,500 people moving around in it. It isn’t cheap—the total cost will be around $170 million—but it has worked. As baseball struggles to keep teams healthy and college football crumbles, the NBA restart is humming along. Players, initially leery of a lockdown, have settled into routines. “I really worried about it potentially feeling a little bit like an armed camp,” says Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBPA. “I’ve found that our players are able to relax. I’m very impressed with the work that everyone’s done to create this thing.”
A few weeks into the restart, Silver spoke to Sports Illustrated about the most challenging season in history.
SI: The bubble—sorry, the campus—is operational. Is it what you hoped it would be?
AS: It’s better than what we had envisioned. Players have taken to it in a more spirited way than we thought they would. We knew that this would require enormous sacrifice on everyone’s part, but I think that what is hard to calibrate—and this maybe goes to my experience when I first came into the arena—is the human emotion that comes with being around other people. And I think everyone realized they missed it more than they even understood. There are players either whose teams are not participating, who were unable to engage this summer because of injuries or other issues, who, once they spoke to fellow NBA players, have asked to join the experience down in Orlando.
I think that it’s the togetherness, the camaraderie, the brotherhood of the players. That’s been the case for the coaches, the team staff and management as well. To take those masks off and bang into each other, whether it’s someone on your team or an opponent, it’s just a human craving we have for contact with other people.
SI: Looking back on the last few months, how confident were you that we would get here?
AS: It has ebbed and flowed. I mean, there have been moments of great optimism, and there have been moments of despair. And I’d say even now, my confidence still ebbs and flows. I’m very aware of how this virus continues to, in many cases, surprise even the greatest experts who’ve spent a lifetime studying coronaviruses. I also recognize that the coronavirus isn’t the only thing that we have to be concerned with here. There’s the ongoing health of the players. There are typical injuries that happen, and we’ve been very watchful to see whether there’s an unusual rate of injuries, which we haven’t seen so far. There’s also the mental well-being of our players and the rest of the community, living on a campus. It’s been roughly three weeks so far, but for those teams that ultimately end up competing in the Finals for the championship, if everything goes according to plan, that’s still more than, well, roughly two months away, so it’s a long time of relative isolation.
SI: As you pieced this plan together, was there one issue you kept coming back to?
AS: Testing. How those protocols would work in terms of daily testing, whether we were comfortable that sufficient tests were available, that we were not taking those tests away from the surrounding community, that we could turn those tests around on a rapid-enough basis to make it workable in the community. Something we’re still dealing with is how we would handle false positives, and also the recognition that statistically you’re going to get false negatives along the way, too.
SI: Anything you wish you could have done?
AS: I’d say my biggest disappointment is that we couldn’t find a sensible way to bring 30 teams down there. We know everything here involves compromises, but I do feel bad there are eight teams that are not part of the experience.
SI: You have said you wanted to bring the sport back for the fans. But there were huge financial consequences if the NBA didn’t come back. What would have been the fallout if the league couldn’t return?
AS: [Pauses.] I’m hesitating only because it’s better to play than not to play, but in terms of a net basis, it’s not as dramatically different as people might think, because it is so costly to do what we’re doing in Orlando. It’s not a sustainable model, but we also recognize that this virus will end and that at some point we will return to more of a normal business operation with fans in seats. But I recognize that there’s a chance that still this season could come to a halt. The league certainly would have survived had we been forced to shut down, and it will survive if we’re forced to shut down sometime before October.
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SI: The NBA has been supportive of player advocacy, from messaging on the back of uniforms to relaxing rules on kneeling during the anthem. It is, frankly, not a position I think the league would have taken a few years ago. When the issue of kneeling during the anthem came up in 2017, you were pretty clear that you expected players to stand. What made this different?
AS: The killing of George Floyd has been a turning point in the movement for social justice in the United States. The league, our team owners and the players had many conversations about what was happening in our country, the fact that an estimated 25 million Americans have protested over issues around racial injustice. And, of course, there’s the recognition that roughly 80% of our players are Black. George Floyd’s killing and the protests were happening right at the time when we were negotiating the return protocols with the players, and they also felt that it was part and parcel with returning to basketball that we collectively focus on these issues.
[We’ve attempted] to engage people, regardless of race, in conversations about why it is there are such great in-equities in this country, even around this immediate health crisis. Black Americans are being hospitalized at multiple the rate that white Americans are of COVID; economic disparities are hitting Black Americans at much greater rates than white Americans in this pandemic. Our view as a league was it was part of a responsibility to respond to our players and to help use this platform of the NBA to get people to engage on what we acknowledge can be a very uncomfortable conversation.
And honestly, from a personal standpoint, I participate in some of those uncomfortable conversations at the league office directly with many of my Black colleagues, some of whom I’ve worked with for decades who were saying things to me that maybe they never felt comfortable saying to me in the past. In some cases it was about personal life experiences they had, which they hadn’t shared, and in other cases was how they were experiencing the NBA as a Black league official. I found myself in some cases becoming very defensive in those conversations, but I was also forcing myself to listen. Collectively we felt that these are conversations are ones that we need to be having as a country.
We were not in a position, given that we were attempting to return to play in the middle of all the social unrest, to avoid being part of the conversation . . . given that some of the most high-profile Black people in the world play in the NBA.
SI: Is the criticism that comes with the NBA’s embracing this position, from conservative networks and politicians, just the cost of doing business?
AS: To be honest, it makes me uncomfortable. I understand critics who say that they turn to sports to avoid controversy. But it’s unavoidable at this moment in time in our country. I wish there was an easier path for us to follow right now. Even if there were, I don’t think it would necessarily be the responsible thing to do.
I think our fans are able to separate words on the floor or messages on the players’ jerseys or the floor. Even to the extent that they don’t, I think they recognize that these are not simple times. Our players are not one-dimensional people, and they can both be deeply concerned about issues that our country faces and at the same time perform their craft at the highest level.
SI: You mentioned next season. How deep into the planning stages are you? Is it bubble or bust, at this point, if the landscape hasn’t changed?
AS: We are deep into the planning stages, but only to the extent that we have dozens of permutations as we look into next season. It’s certainly not bubble or bust. Our first and highest priority would be to find a way to have fans in our arenas. We’re continuing to look at all the different testing methods. We are current on vaccine developments and antivirals and other protocols around the possibility of bringing people together in arenas. We’re studying what colleges are doing as they look to bring thousands of students back on campus. We’re going to try to find the right balance between waiting as long as possible, so we have the best possible information at the time we’re making the decision, and recognizing that, at some point, we have to begin to lock in plans. We would like to find a way to play in front of fans, but it’s just too early to know how realistic this is.
I have to say though, I would not bet against American ingenuity. Just because of how high-profile our experience in Orlando is right now, we are in conversation with dozens of testing companies. We’re studying all kinds of new, relatively inexpensive, rapid tests. The extent those tests are successful and coming to market, that will also open up more possibilities for us in bringing fans into arenas, even prevaccine.
SI: Has putting all this together been easier or harder with a newborn in your life?
AS: [Laughs.] In some ways, easier. The silver lining—no pun intended—has been that. My wife and I had a child in the middle of this, in mid-May, a new daughter. And that’s the time of year where I would have been on the road. There’s no doubt I would have spent some time at home, but it probably wouldn’t have been more than a week in the middle of the playoffs. And so the fact that I’ve been around not just my newborn, but also my three-year-old daughter, and watching her develop over the last four months, having the opportunity to spend time with her every day, having her sort of sit on my lap for a lot of the Zoom calls, despite all the difficulties over this period, has been a real joy in my life.
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The Mountain East Conference Board of Directors has decided to postpone all fall sports seasons to the spring semester in 2021. It was one of several board resolutions following last week’s announcement from the NCAA Board of Governors regarding additional requirements and the cancellation of 2020 NCAA Division II Fall Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board also approved a reduced schedule model for fall sports that will shift to spring 2021 (football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country), that includes a conference championship, without participants exhausting a year of eligibility utilizing the legislative relief provided to NCAA Division II institutions for the 2020-21 season.
Additionally, the board approved several other recommendations from the league’s Committee of Athletics Administrators:
• Suspend competition for winter sports until no earlier than November 1, 2020.
• Suspend all competition in all sports indefinitely, with MEC board review by no later than Oct. 15, 2020.
• Suspend the indoor track and field championship for the 2020-21 season.
• All countable athletically-related activities (CARA), excluding the restrictions regarding outside competition, for all MEC sports are permissible (as allowed under NCAA rules and Board of Governors requirements) at the discretion of each MEC member institution.
Under these recommendations, it could be possible for the men’s and women’s basketball seasons to begin on time in November.
The Mountain East has traditionally conducted its men’s and women’s golf conference championship in the fall, but the sport is classified by the NCAA as a spring sport, and thus will have a delayed conference championship in addition to NCAA postseason opportunities in the spring semester.
“I pledged to our board, administrators, athletics staffs, and most importantly to our student-athletes that we would exhaust every opportunity to stage competition this fall, and I am confident that is collectively what we have done within the MEC,” said Commissioner Reid Amos. “Present public health challenges, combined with the new mandates put forth by the NCAA last week, create too great of a challenge on too short of a timeline to be able to conduct meaningful competition for our fall sports.
“We are tremendously disappointed for our student-athletes, and we recognize the gravity that comes with these decisions,” Amos continued. “We now turn our efforts to keeping our student-athletes engaged with their coaches and teammates this fall, continuing to develop our return to play protocols, creating new schedules for delayed sports, and preparing for our 21 championship events now slated for the winter and spring. We will continue our commitment to providing a meaningful athletics experience for all of our student-athletes and crowning MEC champions during the 2020-21 academic year.”
NASCAR, SPEED SPORT announce digital partnership
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR and SPEED SPORT, America’s Motorsports authority since 1934, announced Wednesday a strategic digital partnership. SPEED SPORT Network will now distribute select NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series events in 2020. SPEEDSPORT.com also joins the NASCAR Digital Media platform for content sharing, ad sales, podcast distribution and website hosting.
NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series tracks that choose to participate can now work directly with SPEED SPORT Network to distribute – and monetize – their events. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will continue to show weekly series races and coordinate with SPEED SPORT Network to deliver an even wider variety of quality broadcasts on both platforms.
MORE: Sign up for TrackPass today
The first live event available on both TrackPass and SPEED SPORT Network will be the Sun Fun 101 at Myrtle Beach Speedway on Aug. 15 at 6:45 p.m. ET. It will be the final race hosted at the historic track where Dale Earnhardt Jr. launched his career.
“We’re excited to partner with such a reputable brand as SPEED SPORT to further spotlight the thrilling competition and passion that’s displayed in grassroots racing nationwide,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR senior vice president and chief digital officer. “The biggest beneficiaries of this partnership are race fans, who now have access to more quality content and live grassroots racing.”
NASCAR Digital Media will revamp and oversee the technical infrastructure and design of SPEEDSPORT.com, as well as distribute SPEED SPORT podcasts.
“We’re thrilled to see this partnership become a reality. SPEED SPORT Network is the ideal fit for NASCAR’s Weekly tracks – and we look forward to helping them develop broadcast strategies that allow them to thrive even during these tough times,” SPEED SPORT CEOT Joe Tripp said. “And on our editorial side, by joining NASCAR Digital Media, we are going to be able to vastly expand the audience for our award-winning content and better support our growing advertising base, while maintaining 100 percent control of our editorial independence.”
Race fans can continue to catch select NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races live and on-demand via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races are part of the NASCAR Roots package for $2.99 monthly or $19.99 annually. The full TrackPass package, which includes NASCAR Roots, IMSA and American Flat Track events, is available for $4.99 per month or $44.99 per year. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold is available on desktop web browsers and via the NBC Sports app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV (Gen 4), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AndroidTV, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Chromecast devices connected via HDMI.
RELATED: NASCAR Roots coverage
TrackPass begins its live motorsports coverage this weekend with the first NASCAR regional series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course – the ARCA Menards Series’ General Tire 100 (Friday at 5 p.m. ET).
NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series tracks and SPEED SPORT Network are working to roll out more broadcast plans. Fans should follow their favorite track’s news for event announcements. All content will also be available on-demand on SPEEDSPORT.tv, home to the widest variety of motorsports events, award-winning shows and exclusive features. SPEED SPORT TV offers plans for $134.99 annually and $14.99 monthly. SPEED SPORT TV is available on web browsers on most connected devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, iOS and Android.
“SPEED SPORT is the undisputed motorsports authority. At 86 years old, nobody has covered NASCAR longer than SPEED SPORT, starting with the races on the beach, the first ever Daytona 500 and every race since,” SPEED SPORT publisher Ralph Sheheen said. “Of course, SPEED SPORT covers it all and has deep and loyal connections to the grassroots racing scene. Today, SPEED SPORT is a complete media company offering so much more for fans and the industry. It’s exciting that our two legendary brands are now working together helping to elevate grassroots racing and to tell its amazing stories to a much broader audience.”
Extremely rare Mike Trout rookie baseball card set to top $1M at auction
2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects card is the rarest version of the card
A rare Mike Trout rookie baseball card is back on the auction block nearly three months after it sold for nearly $1 million.
The 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects card is the rarest version of the card. Beckett graded this particular card a 9 with his signature graded a 10. It’s being sold at Goldin Auctions.
1986-87 FLEER BASKETBALL CARDS CASE CONTAINING MICHAEL JORDAN ROOKIE SELLS FOR MORE THAN $1.7M
“The perennial MVP candidate has placed a superb, blue ink signature on the obverse of this indescribably desirable, ‘Superfractors’ commemorative. The card's BGS condition report: Centering 9.5, Corners 9, Edges 9, Surface 9. A special logo on the card's front declares, ‘Certified Autograph Issue,’ attesting to the authenticity of the signature and serving as Topps' COA. The wholly unique, limited-edition piece is serial-numbered ‘1/1.’ Such an abbreviated mintage, by itself, defines the concept of 'rarity' in terms of indisputable clarity,” a description on the Goldin Auctions site read.
The minimum bid for the card is $1 million. There have been 10 bids thus far with the current bid going at $1.45 million.
ULTRA-RARE ZION WILLIAMSON ROOKIE CARD HAS BOUNTY OUT FOR $500G - HERE'S HOW YOU CAN GET IT
Dave Oancea, known in the sports gambling ranks as “Vegas Dave,” originally bought the card for $400,000 two years ago.
“A lot of people had a lot of negative things to say, that I was crazy, you know,” he told Reuters on Wednesday. “'You could have bought a house’, ‘You could have bought this and that,’ that I’m stupid and it’s a piece of cardboard. But it’s ironic now I’m going to make four or five million dollars.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXBUSINESS.COM
He added: “Mike Trout’s the best modern-day baseball player that we’ve ever seen. We’ll probably never see another player like this again. And it’s also supply and demand. There’s one in the world and right now the baseball card market is booming.”
Youngest Woman to Surf XXL Nazaré? Meet Mahina Maeda.
By Dashel Pierson
In November of 2014, when she was just 16 years old, Mahina Maeda was “tricked” into surfing XXL Nazaré. How, you ask? All it took was a white lie from Garrett McNamara, then Maeda found herself hurtling down the face of a 30-footer.
“I wanted to try but I was too scared to say, ‘let’s do it,’” Maeda explained. “Uncle Garrett decided to tell me that my dad told me to catch a wave. I should’ve known it was not true. [Laughs.] Long story short, he tricked me into catching a wave, and I got towed into the biggest wave of my life. [It] felt like going down a roller coaster and not being able to scream. After my two rides I was addicted.”
That was nearly a year to the day after Brazilian surfer and female big-wave pioneer Maya Gabeira almost died at the same spot. (Gabeira went on to snag a world record for the largest wave ridden by a woman in 2018.) But Maeda was on a high after winning the World Junior Championships in nearby Ericeira, Portugal. So, after the comp, she decided to stop by Nazaré — and it turned out to be one helluva way to celebrate.
Since then, Maeda’s been grinding on the WQS with hopes of making the CT – and also a spot on Japan’s Olympic surf team for 2021 (she grew up in Hawaii, but holds dual citizenship with Japan). To hear more about this rising star, magicseaweed’s Jason Lock gave her a ring. Check out her Nazaré bomb and their chat below.
Tell us a bit about yourself, where did you grow up and where did you learn to surf?
My name is Mahina Maeda, I am 22 years old, and I was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu. I live at Sunset Beach, Hawaii and part time in Chigasaki, Japan. Both my parents are Japanese, and I can speak English and Japanese. My dad taught me how to surf I think at either Sunset or Haleiwa.
I was 16 at that time. It was my first WSL World Junior title at Ericeira, Portugal. They ended up finishing the contest early. And I was traveling with the boys who were staying with my dad and I [Barron Mamiya and Kaulana Apo].
We wanted to do some surfing and sightseeing and to go see my uncle Garrett McNamara. Uncle Garrett used to be tow partners with my dad. It was more like a reunion at first…until we decided to go surf it. The second day was huge and the boys were doing step offs. Eventually it got bigger. Long story short, he tricked me into catching a wave, and I got towed into the biggest wave of my life.
He tricked you? How?
First, I was confused. Then after watching the boys on the backup ski, I felt comfortable in a way. I wanted to try but I was too scared to say, ‘let’s do it.’ Uncle Garrett decided to tell me that my dad told me to catch a wave. I should’ve known it was not true. [Laughs.]
Sitting in the Nazaré lineup felt almost a little eerie, but in a good way. And going down the biggest wave felt like going down a roller coaster and not being able to scream. After my two rides I was addicted.
Would you consider yourself a big-wave surfer?
I wouldn’t say so. It’s been a while since I caught a wave like that. Any true big-wave surfer would have to do it consistently. But with the world on hold, I find myself exploring that area again.
What type of waves do you like surfing?
Lefts…I think being on the QS, I am so sick of going right. I still do like certain rights though, like Haleiwa or Honolua. But I do like punchier waves and waves with long walls like Fiji and Rockies.
Talk about the Olympics – you’re hoping to compete as part of the Japan team and not the US, why’s that?
Honestly, leaving the Hawaiian flag was really hard. Hawaii is the birthplace of surfing and I am super proud of being born and raised here. Having the Hawaiian flag next to your name gives you a great sense of pride. I learned how to surf here in Hawaii and you see that mana. Being that I have dual nationality with America and Japan, it was a hard choice to make.
Ultimately, I chose Japan. Japan has the samurai or warrior feeling and humbling attitude, so having both backgrounds gives me great spiritual strength. I have tremendous pride in being both Japanese and Hawaiian. Going to the Olympics would be a great accomplishment and I do feel that I’d be representing both my nationalities. But first and foremost, I want to qualify for the tour. If I do get the chance to do the Olympics, I will work super hard to represent.
What do you think about surfing in the Olympics in general?
When I think of sports, it’s the Olympics. I think surfing being part of the Olympics will be beneficial to our sport. For years, surfing was considered more of a hobby, but I think it will open up our viewers and help them really appreciate our sport.
“Being that I have dual nationality with America and Japan, it was a hard choice to make. I have tremendous pride in being both Japanese and Hawaiian.”
Have you surfed Shidashita, the Olympic site in Japan? How is it?
Yes, and uh…it’s an okay wave. The wave fluctuates a lot with the tide and swell. It’s not the worst wave, but it also isn’t the best. The good thing is, it’s a very consistent wave for Japan. Japan really relies on typhoons. But this spot is breaking in some way all the time. And all the Japanese guys are always out there – whether it’s one inch to four-foot and over.
For young women looking to make a career out of pro surfing, what advice would you give them?
Don’t read the comments on social media. [Laughs.] I would say work hard and stand your ground. A woman can be that one person to watch out for in the lineup. In a good way. But that doesn’t mean to burn people or snake people. It means to act strong and be respectful. And people will realize that you’re not some random person.
Do you think there’s more the industry can do to better support female athletes?
I am fortunate to have great outside the industry sponsors, but I think some of the ladies struggle to get solid support sometimes. The WSL initiative of equal pay is a great step in the right direction.
Lastly, we heard you’ve been giving Jordy Smith some training tips using Ginastica Natural techniques – tell us about that.
I decided to get my Ginastica Natural trainer’s license at 18. My mentor, coach, hanai dad Kid Peligro works and teaches at Sunset Beach Jiu Jitsu. But before that I trained with him for two years. So, these past four years I have been working alongside him. We’ve had some incredible athletes come and train. And Jordy being one of them.
This interview first ran on magicseaweed.
