New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season

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Owners, execs bracing for mid-to-late June as best-case scenario for NBA's return, sources say

Adrian WojnarowskiSenior NBA Insider

Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, NBA owners and executives are bracing for the possibility of mid-to-late June as a best-case scenario for the league's return, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Fears exist of a season completely lost, especially based on what some experts see as the slow response of the United States to flatten the curve of the coronavirus and make testing available on a widespread basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a recommendation on Sunday night that no events or gatherings should include more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.


The league office has given teams no guidance yet on a timeline for a resumption of play, but organizations themselves are preparing for the possibility of a long hiatus based upon the facts surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA moved from the idea of games without fans in the arenas to suspending the season indefinitely within minutes of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday.
"Our world has changed since Wednesday's [board of governors] call," one team president told ESPN. "The reality isn't lost on anyone right now."
NBA owners are awaiting the league's financial projections on lost revenues, which are expected to be shared with them soon, sources said. J.B. Lockhart, the NBA's chief financial officer, has been leading the effort to deliver owners what all expect to be challenging financial projections on a short-term future that is thick with uncertainty and volatility.
The NBA likely will provide projections on three primary scenarios: the financial costs of shutting down the season, restarting with no fans in the arena, or playing playoff games with fans. Those losses will be reflected in next season's salary cap and the players' share of basketball-related income.

For now, there's a working plan that games would return without fans, and teams have been told to search out arena dates well into August for the playoffs, sources said. Teams have been directed to give the league office potential dates at smaller nearby game venues, including team practice facilities, that could spare the use of empty, cavernous arenas and possibly provide backdrops to unique television viewing lines.
Organizations must evaluate the short- and long-term implications of this season's stoppage, including future sponsorships and ticket renewals. Many owners are feeling the sting of not only the loss of NBA games, but the loss of concert dates and other events in darkened arenas.
Through it all, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is encouraging his league to be open to experimental ideas in every area -- scheduling format, venues, television -- on how to respond to an unprecedented crisis.
While there is growing concern about what's coming and the health of American society, there remains some optimism that the season can be resumed. Mostly, there is uncertainty because no one -- not owners, not Silver -- can be certain based on the unfolding of the coronavirus impact and how dramatically the escalation of the crisis will impact the league's ability to resume.
 

jadis

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OMGoodness!

Associated Press
Durant among 4 Nets to test positive for new coronavirus
BRIAN MAHONEY
Associated PressMarch 18, 2020, 4:21 AM GMT+8
 

Steve Williams

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Steve Williams

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Statement From the Los Angeles Lakers

EL SEGUNDO – Following four Brooklyn Nets players testing positive for COVID-19, because Los Angeles Lakers’ players were exposed to them during our game against the Nets on March 10, our team physicians and public health officials recommended coronavirus testing for the players.

We learned today that two Lakers players have tested positive. Both players are currently asymptomatic, in quarantine and under the care of the team’s physician.

All players and members of the Lakers staff are being asked to continue to observe self-quarantine and shelter at home guidelines, closely monitor their health, consult with their personal physicians and maintain constant communication with the team.

The health and well-being of our players, our organization, our fans, and all those potentially impacted by this situation is paramount. As always, we appreciate the support of our fans, family and friends, and wish everyone affected by this virus a speedy recovery.
 

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Statement From the Los Angeles Lakers

EL SEGUNDO – Following four Brooklyn Nets players testing positive for COVID-19, because Los Angeles Lakers’ players were exposed to them during our game against the Nets on March 10, our team physicians and public health officials recommended coronavirus testing for the players.

We learned today that two Lakers players have tested positive. Both players are currently asymptomatic, in quarantine and under the care of the team’s physician.

All players and members of the Lakers staff are being asked to continue to observe self-quarantine and shelter at home guidelines, closely monitor their health, consult with their personal physicians and maintain constant communication with the team.

The health and well-being of our players, our organization, our fans, and all those potentially impacted by this situation is paramount. As always, we appreciate the support of our fans, family and friends, and wish everyone affected by this virus a speedy recovery.

Sorry to hear that. Hope the players recover quickly.
 

Steve Williams

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Ballmer to buy Forum, clearing way for new Clippers arena

Greg Beacham | The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is buying the Forum for $400 million, ending the billionaire’s legal fight with the Madison Square Garden Company and clearing the way to build a new arena for his NBA team down the street in Inglewood, California.

Ballmer announced his cash purchase of the venerated arena Tuesday. Ballmer, the former Microsoft executive, and Clippers vice chairman Dennis Wong are making the transaction through CAPSS LLC, a newly formed entity that will continue to operate the Forum as a live music venue.

“This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future,” Ballmer said. “We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers and our fans.”

Apparently fearing competition for concerts and other big events, MSG has been aggressively attempting to thwart Ballmer’s desire to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat home for the Clippers just a few blocks down Prairie Avenue from the Forum. The two arenas would be separated only by the lavish SoFi Stadium complex being built by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

MSG, which bought the Forum for a reported $23.5 million in 2012, has sued the Inglewood city government, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature in its various attempts to slow the approval process for Ballmer’s privately financed arena project, which is currently undergoing environmental review.

The Forum purchase abruptly wraps up the litigation fight and allows the Clippers to move ahead on their goal to open a new arena when their Staples Center lease expires in 2024. The Clippers currently share the downtown arena with the Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

Ballmer wants to build a $1.2 billion arena on 28 acres of land just south of the SoFi Stadium complex. The addition of the Clippers’ new project would put four significant arenas — SoFi Stadium contains a 6,000-seat performance venue in addition to the main football stadium --within one mile of each other on Prairie Avenue.

Ballmer said the Forum and the Clippers’ new arena will be able to coordinate event schedules while under the same ownership, mitigating the impact of so many people in such a small area of the Los Angeles suburbs.

Chris Meany, a principal in the development company overseeing the Clippers’ new arena project, acknowledged the importance of traffic management in the deal.

“While we have gone to great lengths to provide an unprecedented traffic-management plan for the new basketball arena, this acquisition provides a much greater ability to coordinate and avoid scheduling events at the same time at both venues,” he said.

MSG revitalized the once-Fabulous Forum, which had fallen into disuse after the Lakers and Kings left for Staples Center in 1999. The building was famously home to the glitzy “Showtime” Lakers, who won five championships and reached eight NBA Finals during the 1980s. Kobe Bryant began his 20-year Lakers career in the arena.

MSG spent a reported $50 million on renovations to the arena and re-opened it as a well-regarded venue primarily used for major concerts and combat sports.
 

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Ironic that the owner of the LA Clippers now owns the Lakers former home.

One of the reasons we bought season tickets for the Clippers in 2001 was because they moved to the Staples Center. It was a great venue and it was fun to go downtown and watch LA Live and the area around it change so dramatically over the years.

Inglewood will host quite an entertainment complex with the LA Rams new stadium and the development planned around it and the Clippers new arena in the same area.
 

Steve Williams

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Ironic that the owner of the LA Clippers now owns the Lakers former home.

One of the reasons we bought season tickets for the Clippers in 2001 was because they moved to the Staples Center. It was a great venue and it was fun to go downtown and watch LA Live and the area around it change so dramatically over the years.

Inglewood will host quite an entertainment complex with the LA Rams new stadium and the development planned around it and the Clippers new arena in the same area.

all 3 venues are literally side by side by side

Mickey Dolan made over $400M on the sale. Not so shabby
 

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With the sports complex developing in Inglewood it will be somewhat similar to the situation in Phoenix.

There the basketball arena and the baseball stadium are downtown and the football stadium and the hockey arena are in Glendale, west of the city.

To be honest I prefer going to downtown Phoenix for sporting events rather than Glendale. The activity downtown and around the stadium seem more organic to me while the Glendale facilities have a "Disneyland" type environment that seems artifical and only comes to life on game/event days.

Plus, we had a horrible parking experience after going to the Fiesta Bowl one year. It literally took us almost two hours to get out of the parking lots in Glendale. Could never figure out how that could have happened.
 
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Steve Williams

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With the sports complex developing in Inglewood it will be somewhat similar to the situation in Phoenix.

There the basketball arena and the baseball stadium are downtown and the football stadium and the hockey arena are in Glendale, west of the city.

To b honest I prefer going to downtown Phoenix for sporting events rather than Glendale. The activity downtown and around the stadium seem more organic to me while the Glendale facilities have a "Disneyland" type environment that seems artifical and only comes to life on game/event days.

Plus, we had a horrible parking experience after going to the Fiesta Bowl one year. It literally took us almost two hours to get out of the parking lots in Glendale. Could never figure out how that could have happened.
I feel the pain. The worst parking nightmare I have ever been in was at The Hollywood Bowl a few years ago when we saw James Taylor. Unbeknownst to me the Bowl uses stacked parking which means if you're in the middle of the stack you aren't going anywhere until all the cars in front of you have left the line. It took us hours to get out
 

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We used to go to the Hollywood Bowl every year for the 4th of July concert and fireworks event. Were trapped in the stacked parking the first year but never again. We started parking half a mile away and hiking in from there.
 
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Steve Williams

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We used to go to the Hollywood Bowl every year for the 4th of July concert and fireworks event. Were trapped in the stacked parking the first year but never again. We started parking half a mile away and hiking in from there.
Like you I became a quick learner. What a mess to park there
 

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James Taylor played the 4th of July Hollywood Bowl event in 2002.

John Williams was also there that year conducting the LA Philharmonic.

That was quite a show.
 

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jadis

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jadis

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With that bit on Jordan still hating Isiah and the Pistons on the news lately, I had to wonder why I didn't feel that bad about the Pistons beating us twice in the Eastern playoffs when they were already bad boys. I guess it was all part of the game, and rules, then. Those kinds of tough body and hand checks were everywhere in the 80s. I would also think that the Bulls and Pistons were very evenly matched personnel wise and that made losing very hard, specially on close games and close series. As tough as the Pistons were in those days, you get to beat them with well designed plays to beat their defense, and I still have a high respect for Chuck Daly's rotating and swarming defense to this day. The Lakers also got their share of the bad boys in the Finals, for 2 straight years.
 

Steve Williams

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A glimmer of Hope.......

NBA targets May 8 as earliest date to allow some limited workouts in select cities

Official release

NEW YORK -- The NBA informed its teams today that, as numerous state and local governments have announced modifications of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions on non-essential business activity beginning this week, the league is planning to modify its guidance regarding the use of team practice facilities and player training. The purpose of these changes is to allow for safe and controlled environments for players to train in states that allow them to do so, and to create a process for identifying safe training options for players located in other states.

The league advised teams that it is targeting no earlier than Friday, May 8, as the commencement date for the new rules, and that it may push this timing back if developments warrant.

The potential rules changes would allow teams to make their practice facilities available for use by the team’s players for workouts or treatment on a voluntary, individual basis if the team’s facility is in a city that is no longer subject to a government restriction. For any team that, due to a government restriction, is prohibited from making its facility available for use by the team’s players, the league will work with the team to identify alternatives.

The following restrictions would apply:

  • No more than four players would be permitted at a facility at any one time.
  • No head or assistant coaches could participate.
  • Group activity remains prohibited, including practices or scrimmages.
  • Players remain prohibited from using non-team facilities such as public health clubs, fitness centers, or gyms.
 

jadis

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Well Steve, I honestly cannot see how the NBA can proceed even in July or August when there are 855k active cases in the USA and 28,000 new cases yesterday. I would imagine the need need for the active cases to be down to a few thousand with 1 or 2 new cases for the NBA games to resume with fans in full throng, and teams flying left and right each day to cities. I just cannot see that happening in June. Which is why the Tokyo Olympics were postponed for next year.
 

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