NBA commissioner Adam Silver to miss Game 6 of NBA Finals due to health and safety protocols

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was unable to attend Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals that saw the Golden State Warriors defeat the Boston Celtics to get to within a victory of the championship because he landed in the league's health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. 

It's now known Silver won't be spending time with the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy on Thursday evening at Boston's TD Garden. 

According to Scott Rafferty of Sporting News, Silver remains in the protocols and, thus, hasn't been cleared to attend Game 6 of the series in Boston. The Warriors will enter the evening holding a 3-2 series lead and will receive the trophy from NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum if they close things out in front of a hostile crowd. 

Silver typically presents the trophy to the winners of the Finals. 

As Rafferty notes, it is still unknown if Silver tested positive for the coronavirus or was deemed a high-risk close contact of somebody who produced a positive test. 

A Boston win on Thursday would force a Game 7 held back in San Francisco on Sunday night. Silver's status for that potential matchup may not be known before the weekend.