NBA Will Open Practice Facilities May 8, Jazz To Follow

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA will open practice facilities across the country on May 8 as planned. The league was rumored to be eyeing May 1, before pushing the date back one week. The NBA has been in a state of hiatus since March 11 when league play was suspended due to COVID-19.

In a call with media on Tuesday, Utah Jazz Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey said the Jazz plan to follow league guidelines. However, Lindsey wouldn’t confirm that the team would open its doors to the Zions Bank Basketball Campus on May 8.

“My best guess it will be after May 8th,” Lindsey said. “We want to make sure the facility meets all of the league’s specifications.”

The Cavaliers, according to a team spokesman, will indeed make their practice facility open to players Friday for voluntary workouts … once the league makes it official and allows facilities to re-open in states (like Ohio) where shelter-in-place restrictions have been eased

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 6, 2020

Last week, Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert lowered the state’s emergency from a red phase to an orange. As a result, the state began loosening stay at home restrictions at some gyms and restaurants.

“Our biggest goal is to have the confidence of the players and the staff that they can enter our facilities safely,” Lindsey said. 

Teams will face strict restrictions when they do allow players to return to the facilities. Only four players will be allowed in the facility at one time. Furthermore, players can’t share one basket, while head coaches, top assistants, and front office members cannot aid in the workouts.

“We do have a significant number here locally and we will follow all those protocols,” Lindsey said of his players. “But with that said, we look forward to having them in our building soon.” 

Not All Teams In The NBA Will Open Practice Facilities

However, not all teams in the NBA will open practice facilities. Even some teams in states with looser shelter-in-place orders will keep their doors closed.

The Houston Rockets will keep their facility closed until at least May 18. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he doesn’t yet feel safe opening the doors for his team.

Mark Cuban told @bdameris and @MFollowill on their podcast that the inability to test for coronavirus is the reason the Mavs have no immediate plans to open their practice facility. pic.twitter.com/1w7l5TeUWj

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 7, 2020

Cuban plans to wait until adequate testing supplies are available before he will once again open his doors. The billionaire owner has been one of the league’s most forward thinkers regarding the coronavirus. Cuban was one of the first owners to commit to paying his sidelined employees throughout the hiatus.

Important Step Towards Reopening

Though the NBA insists it is no closer to a return date despite reopening practice facilities, the move is a step in the right direction. One hurdle the league will face before returning to play is getting it’s players back in shape.

With many players stuck in apartment complexes, a large percentage of the league’s 450 players haven’t been able to shoot a basketball. In the meantime, the league has worked with players to get them set up with exercise equipment. However, having a regulation NBA hoop to shoot on should allow players to once again find their basketball rhythm.

“The fans, the players, the staff are all top of mind,” Lindsey said. “So when the league deems that to be safe, we’ll start moving forward with play and competition.”