Atlantic City wants in on a single elimination NBA tournament. So does Vegas. ESPN’s Wilbon doesn’t see it happening.
Could the NBA return with a tournament in Atlantic City? The New York Post broke the news this week that Atlantic City Mayor, Marty Small Sr has lobbied the league to bring this potential event to AC. Other sources have suggested that the league is talking behind closed doors about a 16 team single elimination tournament to be held in-part at Boardwalk Hall.
Las Vegas is a more obvious destination for the NBA tournament. Vegas is the host of the NBA summer league, and there are multiple facilities that could host games. Plus, nowhere has more empty hotels than Las Vegas as the Coronavirus has put a stop to most travel.
The mayor says that “there is a possibility” though that Atlantic City could be the site of the NBA playoffs or tournament. With some or all of the games being played at Boardwalk Hall.
On a Facebook live broadcast earlier this week, Small said “We are trying to work that out and bring the NBA here once things settle down a little bit”. He continued “There is a possibility that once things are back to normal that the NBA could be playing some of its games at Boardwalk Hall.”
While this sounds like this plan could be the savior for both NBA fans and some Atlantic City hotels, the league has yet to comment on if there is any real potential for an AC NBA event. Plus, according to Mark Berman of the NY Post, other sites have also been discussed and some are even more odd than Atlantic City. Hawaii, Orlando, Louisville and even the Bahamas are on the table as potential NBA playoff or tournament locations.
Many in the media wonder if the NBA will return at all.
“These are the richest people in the world, what are you going to do, quarantine them for 6 weeks?” Thats the key question posed by Michael Wilbon (PTI) on The Props Network’s Just For Sport podcast.
Joining Jumoke Davis by phone from Scottsdale, Wilbon remarked about the desperation (for sports and normalcy) behind the idea of finishing the 2020 NBA season this way.
“No no no no I don’t see it at all” he said. “I just think it smacks of desperation, and I understand why because we are desperate to get this thing (coronavirus) off of us (and) to have life return as we know it and to save life.. but do i think that is going to happen, no.”
Wilbon went on to say that doubts the return of any major sports. However, he is optimistic about smaller sports returning from the Covid-19 shut down.
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The Props Network will keep tabs on NBA news as it breaks.
