In a conference call involving NBA superstars, a united front was presented in favor of season resuming. A surprise participant: the injured Kevin Durant.
A number of NBA superstars had a private conference call on Tuesday to discuss the future of the season which is currently suspended as the United States grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This group included LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and others.
Thanks to a report from Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, we’ve learned they reached a consensus and formed a united front in favor of resuming the season:
Yahoo Sources: NBA superstars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry held private conference call on Monday and established united front in favor of resuming season. https://t.co/FZJfgP6WDu pic.twitter.com/6AZOWe0AXo
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 12, 2020
The fact that the players are willing to face the risks presented in this pandemic to get the season in is itself notable. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated he cannot guarantee player safety while COVID-19 rages on, so this is not an empty gesture by any means.
While this united front from the faces of the league is perhaps the closest thing NBA fans have seen to reassurance since the league suspended its season more than two months ago, the list of players involved does come with some intrigue.
Sidelined Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was one of the players on the call who spoke in favor of the season returning. He’s been rehabilitating since rupturing his Achilles in the NBA Finals last season with the Golden State Warriors against the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.
There has been no indication from Durant or his camp that he will actually return to action in whatever form the 2019-20 season presents itself in, but his participation could be the slightest glimmer of hope. At best, we’re at least a couple of months away from returning to actual game action, which simply continues to extend his potential timeline for return.
The most important thing when it comes to Durant’s rehab and return is that he’s completely healthy, but perhaps his involvement offers some indication that he may believe there’s a chance he’ll be good to go when the 2019-20 campaign is set to resume?
Unfortunately, what’s more likely is that he’s simply aware of what is on the line financially for both himself and the NBA, and being a part of this united front is important both personally and for the league and players union.
Nevertheless, we can hope that the former is just as true and relevant to his participation as the latter.
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