We're all waiting for opening night tomorrow night, eh?

NBA season.

And it is my honor and privilege to have our next guest approaching his seventh year as commissioner of the National Basketball Association.

The one and only Adam Silver.

How are you, sir?

Thank you for being on the show.

I'm great.

Good morning.

Thanks for having me.

No problem.

Let's get right to it.

Because before we get to any on court stuff, obviously we've got to get to a lot of things about this global pandemic that's basically taken over this world right now, about almost not about nine months ago.

Had to postpone the season March 11th because of covert 19.

Now you got through the season.

Started in the back up in July 30th.

Had a phenomenal time in the bubble.

Not one positive test.

But now we come into a new season.

Talk to me for a second, commissioner.

When you talk about players, coaches, league personnel getting vaccinated for covert 19.

Um, can you talk to me about that?

How How are you guys gonna go about doing that?

Sure.

Although we're somewhat in the dark, not unlike most people.

Certainly you know there's there's no way we would ever jump the line in any form whatsoever.

Onda, For the most part, because our players are young and healthy without some sort of co morbidity, they will not be a high priority for vaccinations.

I mean, there are some other members of the n b a community working, you know, on court who are older and will have a higher priority to get the vaccine.

But as I said, I mean, we will, I think, very likely be part of some public service campaigns.

We've already talked to the CDC and other other mental agencies about that encouraging people to get vaccinated when it is appropriate.

But up till then, as I said, we'll just be watching and waiting.

Like you said, When it's appropriate, you'll definitely encourage people.

Thio take the vaccine.

What if players refuse, sir, how is that going to be handled by the MBA?

You know, first of all, we don't have the right, um, short of a negotiation with their union to require them to get vaccines.

And I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.

I mean, I understand.

You know that some people don't want to get vaccinated.

I think it part of it will be a public education campaign.

I'm also hoping that as more people get vaccinated, increases the public's confidence in the vaccine and the testing protocols they've they've undergone thus far in order for the government to, in essence, verified that it is safe.

But I again I think as time goes on, I think more people will recognize the importance of getting vaccinated and again, not just for themselves.

I mean, this is a conversation we've already begun with some members of the community again.

For young, healthy people.

Well, it's still incredibly serious disease.

They tend to do better than older people or people with underlying conditions.

So for our players, the ultimately the reason to get vaccinated may not be to protect themselves.

It may be to protect their parents, their grand parents and other members of the community.

When people talk about the NBA as it pertains to Kovar 19, you guys with standard because obviously you were very, very successful, uh, in the bubble in terms of, you know, you know, just making sure that there were no positive test.

It was a phenomenal job by the league players everybody involved, but now we're talking about something that's not a bubble.

It's 30 different locations.

You got 30 teams in the NBA.

They're playing.

How is the N B?

A.

Going to be able to enforce protocols in 30 different locations?

It was hard enough.

I imagine doing so in a bubble team.

It's a fair question, and it's gonna be a very different operation being outside of a bubble.

I mean, as you know, there are all sorts of issues going into the bubble, and we weren't sure how that would work.

And it ended up working in many ways far better than we thought.

I mean, now that we're going to be.

In essence, 30 different markets were, you know, and and completely outside of a a bubble.

There's no doubt we're gonna have issues.

We've been watching closely what's been happening, not just with other leagues, college sports, etcetera that are playing outside of bubble.

And even, you know, Stephen A.

I'd say, aside from violations of protocol, we know that even people who are following all of our rules exactly as intended, that when you're living at home, you have Children in school.

You have family members who are out and about, Um, no one is immune from this virus.

I mean, we saw it when our players first came into training camp just a few weeks ago.

You know, we had essentially 50 positive cases just to begin training camp.

And this is not necessarily because anyone engaged in reckless activity, it's because they're living their lives like most other Americans are.

So I mean, we'll have all kinds of procedures in place to attempt to assure that our protocols are following.

Of course, to the extent they aren't will address it.

And I think one of the conversations we've been having with our players associations, we may have to adjust our protocols as we go, depending on how things are working.

But to your point, this is gonna be a far different environment than being in a bubble.

And there's no doubt I think, that that there were there will highly likely that there will be cases based on what we're seeing in society around us.

Last question on this particular subject.

I know you how optimistic that you are, and you don't like toe, even though you take all matters in the consideration.

Worst case scenario beyond you certainly don't like to think that way.

Can you foresee?

Is there any kind of scenario that you can envision where this season could ultimately end up being postponed again?

And if so, you know specifically, can you speak to what's being done to make sure that's prevented?

Well, you know, first of all, is it possible that this season could get postpone?

Of course.

I mean, you know, nobody can predict precisely the trajectory of this virus.

I mean, it's it's been terrible, frankly, you know, And, you know, hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, just the United States, and it continues to rage in many ways, and this is something very new that we're doing.

Um, you know, again, watching closely what's happening.

The NFL in baseball and they're doing baseball did an incredible job under the circumstances, and so is the NFL now.

But those air outdoor sports there in stadiums, just as when we went into the bubble, we couldn't be sure how things would play out.

Now that we're trying something new, an indoor sport, you know, you know, again different protocols that we haven't had in place before.

I think we wouldn't be acting responsibly, and I wouldn't be acting responsibly if I said it's just full steam ahead no matter what.

Having said that, based on our experience in the bubble, we have a fair degree of confidence in our approach.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

Subscribe to ESPN plus.