The Chinese Basketball Association has been in the process of working toward a resumption of play after the season was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, but it sounds like it will be a while longer before professional basketball returns anywhere in the world.
According to documents obtained by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Chinese government issued an official order on Tuesday delaying the restart of the CBA. The CBA suspended play in January and appeared to be working toward a May resumption, but that is now in doubt. The order did not indicate when the restriction might be lifted.
While the CBA has not set an official date for return, the league is still informing players that there are no plans to cancel the season. It is likely that the league will house teams in quarantined hotels and play games in only two different cities.
There are around 40 American players who play in the CBA, and they understandably have concerns about traveling with the coronavirus outbreak still on the rise in the United States. A previous report claimed CBA officials were making some serious threats against players who did not return in time for the resumption of the league.
The United States is several weeks behind China with the coronavirus curve, so that should give you an idea of the timeline for the NBA returning. There has been some talk that the remainder of the 2019-20 season could be canceled, but owners and players do not want that to happen.
