NBA Prefers To Avoid Bubbles Next Season, But Possibility Remains

The NBA has discussed several contingency plans for the '20-21 season, including “reforming a bubble or multiple bubbles,” but that is “not the first option at the moment,” according to sources cited by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver multiple times has said that the league “wants to have a full 82-game season with fans in arenas.” However, that may not be “full capacity in many places and it's possible it won't be in all 28 NBA cities at the start.” Arena-based revenue “makes up 40% of the league's income,” and every game most teams “play without it, even with local and national television revenue, could be a money-loser.” Meanwhile, the NBA is not “currently planning to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine,” though there are “hopes rapid testing will have enough reliability and availability -- while being cost-effective.” Several NBA team owners, and the league itself, “have made investments in companies developing these types of tests” (ESPN.com, 10/14).