NBA Lays Out 25-Day Return Plan for Whenever Coronavirus Shutdown is Lifted

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep us all at home, basketball diehards are likely growing increasingly worried that the NBA season could be cancelled without a champion ever being crowned.

The league will wait until May to reevaluate its suspension, and in the meantime, commissioner Adam Silver is working hard to introduce conceptions for what a potential return plan might look like. Per ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the league has proposed a 25-day "program" that players must endure in order to get themselves back in playing shape and prepar to resume play.

This roadmap would involve players going through an 11-day stretch of individual workouts to expedite their conditioning, which has undoubtedly plunged over the last month. All of these sessions would be carried out in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

From there, the league and its players would embark on a two-week training camp of sorts with entire teams participating. This, of course, would have to pass muster with public health professionals, as well as the NBA players union.

Some executives, according to ESPN, have emphasized the need for a month's worth (or longer) of training to get players back into the swing of things before resuming play given the unique increased injury risk after such an extended layoff.

Potential concerns both great and small must be taken into consideration for the NBA to reopen its operations sustainably. The health of players, coaches, and staff, who will all take on risks whenever games resume, should be the paramount concern of Adam Silver and Co.