Cuban: NBA can return from coronavirus by early summer
Dallas Mavericks owner hopeful league will resume in May but betting it could happen even earlier
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he is hopeful that the NBA can resume playing on TV without fans by May but is betting it could happen even earlier. The league suspended the season indefinitely after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
“America needs sports right now, we need something to cheer for. We need something to get excited about. We need a team to root for and I think the NBA can fill that need.” the billionaire told FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto on Wednesday.
ARE NBA PLAYERS PAID DURING CORONAVIRUS SEASON SUSPENSION?
At least 10 active NBA players have tested positive for coronavirus, which has become a hotspot for the outbreak amongst professional sports leagues.
Last week, the league sent a memo to teams directing them to close their training and practice facilities to all players and staff in addition to recommending players “take aggressive measures to avoid contact with others and remain home as much as possible, leaving only for essential activities."
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban looks on after a game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Feb. 3, 2020, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
As of Wednesday morning, there were more than 55,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. and 802 deaths.
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person within close contact and through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cuban said playing in front of fans is a long way off. He said if he set the over-under, he would take the "under" that “some sort of game on TV for fans” will be played by early summer.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
FOX Business' Thomas Barrabi contributed to this report.