When the Orlando Magic opened the doors in its AdventHealth Practice Facility on Thursday, May 14, it marked the 11th NBA team to get back to work. Even if it is only voluntary workouts, the re-opening of practice facilities gives fans hope that the 2019-20 season will resume at some point this summer.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic was among the first Orlando players to show up at the facility and workout. All workouts are voluntary and individual though the player may have team support staff available. All support staff in the facility must use proper social distancing and wear masks and gloves.
Vucevic’s workout was documented on video by Magic equipment manager Jacob Diamond. The Magic’s leading scorer (19.5 ppg) and rebounder (11.0 rpg) went through a workout with associate coach for player development Lionel Chalmers.
On Wednesday, Miami re-opened its practice facility. Nine other teams – Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver, Indiana, Milwaukee, Portland, Sacramento, Toronto, and Utah – had already re-opened their facilities after NBA commissioner Adam Silver had given teams the go-ahead to do so on May 8. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to become the 12th team to re-open. The Lakers are shooting for Saturday.
There is still no decision on when, if at all, the league might resume the 2019-20 season. Silver reportedly has told the league’s players that he expects to make the call by mid-June at the latest. The re-opening of the practice facilities is what appears to be a step in the direction of resuming the season.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis continues to make it known that his state is open if any of the professional sports leagues need venues. The Disney World Resort has been mentioned as a possible location for centralized play. The resort has enough space to house all players, coaches, and support personnel plus courts available for practice and play.
DeSantis also mentioned the possibility of a team relocating to Florida. If a team cannot operate in its home state, Florida could serve as a host for that team so it may complete its season.
Rick Bouch
