PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- While the Sixers' first game is still one day away, the NBA season tips off Tuesday night. Commissioner Adam Silver explained that he thinks the NBA’s safety protocols will them get through this season — but he recognizes it won’t be easy.
"This is going to be a far different environment than being in a bubble, and there’s no doubt I think that there will-- it’s highly likely that there will be (COVID-19) cases, based on what we’re seeing in society around us," Silver told ESPN.
"I mean, now that we’re gonna be, in essence, 30 different markets, and completely outside of a bubble, there’s no doubt we’re gonna have issues."
Silver said the league would be acting irresponsibly if they took a full-steam-ahead approach. He said that if things become uncontrollable, then they may have to pause like last season.
"Is it possible that the season could get postponed? Of course," he said. "Nobody can predict precisely the trajectory of this virus. I mean, it’s been terrible, frankly."
Asked about when the NBA might see its first vaccinations, he said, there’s no way they would "jump the line."
"For the most part," he said, "because our players are young and healthy without some sort of co-morbidity, they will not be a high priority for vaccinations."
Right now, it looks like only six of the 30 teams will have some fans at home games to start the season. The Sixers, as we know, are not among them.
Silver said playing another season without fans would mean NBA revenue would dip about 40%.
“Tens of thousands of people rely on our league and its related businesses for their livelihoods,” Silver said. “We also feel a responsibility to our fans. People continue to look at sports as a break from the challenges of the pandemic and as a small reminder of what life was like before COVID-19. ... It’s a piece of life I feel we’re able to get back, for the time being.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.