Report: NBA won't shut down if player tests positive for coronavirus

In May, SNY's Andy Martino claimed one MLB executive told him the league would not shut down during the regular season if a player tested positive for the coronavirus, assuming a baseball campaign begins at some point in the summer. 

It appears the NBA will adopt similar protocols. 

On Thursday, the NBA Board of Governors approved the 22-team model to complete the 2019-20 season. It's widely believed the National Basketball Players Association will sign off on the proposal, and that the league will resume play on or around July 31. 

ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst reported that the Association currently does not intend to shutter play if a member of a team tests positive for the coronavirus after clubs convene at Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort. Instead, the individual in question will be asked to self-isolate and quarantine away from others, and all personnel who were exposed will be closely monitored to prevent a potential outbreak.

On Wednesday, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur confirmed one employee tested positive for COVID-19 this week. Per league policy, players who test positive are required to self-isolate for up to 14 days. They can only return to their teams once they've completed the quarantine time and can provide a negative test. 

Bontemps and Windhorst added that, like other competitions around the world, it's not known what would happen if several individuals linked with one team or multiple players across several clubs tested positive. Any sort of outbreak would likely result in the further postponement or cancellation of the campaign. 

Last month, Liga MX announced it canceled its Clausura season because of the pandemic. Santos Laguna had 12 players test positive for the virus before the campaign was called off.