Despite being on an indefinite pause for more than two months, Lakers superstar Lebron James said that he is very hopeful that the NBA would come back on the hardcourt "sooner rather than later."
During Monday's "WRTS: After Party" show on Uninterrupted platform, King James stated that he has very high hopes that the season would resume. However, he stressed that the come back should not jeopardize the health and well-being of athletes and everyone involved in the game.
The NBA season has been on hiatus since March 11 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It was announced right after Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz became the first NBA player to contract the disease, which was followed by several more players who tested positive for the virus.
"Definitely not giving up on the season," the King stated. He also added that he is not the only one that wants to come back and play but also his teammates and the whole Lakers organization. Aside from that he also noted that he knows many players who want to play, but he emphasized that despite their eagerness to play the health risk should be taken into account.
Last week, Lebron was among the players along with some of the highest-paid players in the league who met and talked about the future of the season. According to reports the group had a consensus that they all want and are waiting for the resumption of the season.
On May 8, Adam Silver, NBA's commissioner told the National Basketball Players Association headed by Chris Paul that he is hoping to come up with a decision on how the season would move forward in four weeks' time. Given the timeframe, the NBA and Silver are hopeful that a decision would be finalized by the 5th of June.
According to reports, the majority of the 30 franchises within the league have already resumed the operation of their practice facilities only for voluntary workouts. Meanwhile, other sports have also ignited a spark of come back. NASCAR has already restarted its season, baseball leagues have already talked about a possible summer opening, and golf is even set to return on TV by Sunday.
Lebron also added that with the comeback of other sports like UFC and soccer he is very hopeful that the NBA would soon reach a decision. According to him, he would really love to get back to playing while also expressing his love for basketball. He also explained that he does not only want to come back for himself and for his team but also to bring back the game to fans who have been inspired by the sport.
Before the NBA suspended their season, Lebron's team, the LA Lakers were the top seed f the Western Conference and if the season is to resume, this would be the Lakers' first playoff appearance since 2013.
With high hopes getting another NBA Finals title, Lebron said that he missed playing and that he is excited to be back the court.
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