A day after the NHL announced it would start its winter break early because of a surge in coronavirus cases, the NBA said Tuesday that it had no plans to shut down for Christmas. In fact, Commissioner Adam Silver said the league had a responsibility to keep playing.
"Frankly, we’re having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now,” Silver said in an interview with ESPN, adding, "It seems for us that the right and responsible thing to do, taking all the factors into consideration, is to continue to play.”
The NBA’s approach is much like that of most other North American team sports leagues, which appear determined to keep playing games and welcoming fans even as they scramble to fill rosters with athletes who are able to play.