The NBA season is getting closer to a potential return; the XFL may not be done for good. Plus: the BIG3 has bailed on 2020, while the PBA Tour will return with primetime exposure on broadcast television.
NBA season could resume in July
There is momentum toward resuming the NBA season in July, according to multiple reports Wednesday. Per The Athletic, a mid-July restart is “the most popular and possible scenario,” with Walt Disney World in Orlando the “clear frontrunner” to host games.
ESPN separately reported that a number of league officials expect NBA commissioner Adam Silver to give the go-ahead on a return to play next month, with games resuming at some point in July. Per ESPN, the league is still considering a two-site plan that would put games in Orlando and Las Vegas. [The Athletic 5.20, ESPN.com 5.20]
XFL may not be done yet
There is belief among the XFL’s creditors that majority owner Vince McMahon will try to buy the league out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, The Athletic reported Wednesday. Per the report, XFL president Jeffrey Pollack has inquired about reinstating lease agreements in St. Louis and Seattle, two of the league’s eight markets.
The XFL suspended and eventually called off its season during the wave of pandemic-related cancellations in March and April. After initially announcing plans to return for a second season next year, it abruptly ceased operations, laid off staff, and filed for the aforementioned bankruptcy. [The Athletic 5.19]
BIG3 bails on 2020
The BIG3 basketball league called off its 2020 season on Monday but plans to return next year. CBS, which reached a one-year extension with the BIG3 in February, has agreed to carry that over to next year. The league is also delaying plans for its reality TV basketball tournament — in which players would compete while staying in a “Big Brother” style home — until at least this fall. [BIG3 5.18]
Plus: Peyton’s Places, Lance, Bowling
ESPN announced Wednesday that it has renewed the ESPN+ series “Peyton’s Places” for a second season that is expected to run from Thanksgiving weekend through the Super Bowl. … As was the practice with “The Last Dance,” ESPN will air its upcoming two-part 30 For 30 series “Lance” on both ESPN and ESPN2, with the former airing the documentary uncensored and the latter with expletives edited out. … The Professional Bowlers Association Tour will return with a pair of primetime events on FOX in June, with one airing June 6 at 7 PM ET and the other on June 13 at 6 PM. [ESPN PR 5.20; Awful Announcing 5.19; PBA 5.20]
