NBA at Walt Disney World

Thirty teams with a roster of 15 per team, add in another 10 coaches and trainers and a ton of camera people and referees and they need about 1000 rooms. They could easily take all of one nice hotel, say the Grand Floridian. I would guess some of the high profile players would find their own accommodations (say rent a nice home in the area). I don’t see the need for them to be really, really close to the facilities.

They would have to test all the players, since it’s a high contact sport. But I think that is a small enough number it’s possible.

I think that would be a great idea. ESPN needs the content, we need the entertainment, Disney could use some revenue, and the golf course is open for down time..Players love that.
 
This would be an amazing idea actually. Could easily play the playoffs here, 3 stadiums is more then enough for this to work. Also Disney owns ESPN and ABC, which should be even more of an incentive to do this! Ratings would be off the charts with everyone tuned in to watch a live USA Sport during this time. Should put this in place, would give us basketball back to watch finally! With a nice touch of disney magic in it as well.
 
Thirty teams with a roster of 15 per team, add in another 10 coaches and trainers and a ton of camera people and referees and they need about 1000 rooms. They could easily take all of one nice hotel, say the Grand Floridian. I would guess some of the high profile players would find their own accommodations (say rent a nice home in the area). I don’t see the need for them to be really, really close to the facilities.

They would have to test all the players, since it’s a high contact sport. But I think that is a small enough number it’s possible.

I think that would be a great idea. ESPN needs the content, we need the entertainment, Disney could use some revenue, and the golf course is open for down time..Players love that.
The whole idea of holding these games at a place like WDW is to “quarantine” the players and other personnel and limit their exposure. I don’t think they would let the players go off property and rent homes as that would defeat the purpose.
 


After this send all the P5 basketball programs there as well. 2020-2021 season consists of league play only. Keep the kids there to take their distance learning.
The other conferences do similar regionally. Conf winners and at large displace non tourn P5 schools at WDW and have the tourn there...
 
I can't see this being a reality due to the length of games left to be played. At some point Disney is going to open to the general public; then what. Depending on actual start date you are surely talking most of the summer maybe even into fall to finish the season and playoffs. I can see them going more remote like MLB is kicking around.
 
I can't see this being a reality due to the length of games left to be played. At some point Disney is going to open to the general public; then what. Depending on actual start date you are surely talking most of the summer maybe even into fall to finish the season and playoffs. I can see them going more remote like MLB is kicking around.
I think they would have to cancel the rest of the regular season and go straight to the playoffs. As teams are eliminated, they would return home reducing the number of rooms that would be required to House the NBA.
 


I think they would have to cancel the rest of the regular season and go straight to the playoffs. As teams are eliminated, they would return home reducing the number of rooms that would be required to House the NBA.
Correct ,then nba would have to go straight to the playoffs for this to work, which it should anyway. Sucks for the teams trying to make a push but with only 15 games remaining for each team it is what it is. I'm a knicks fan so not gonna hurt me a bit lol They should just do whatever it takes to get it going now. Playoffs is 16 teams and after like a week or so, its down to 8 so this could easily be done without disrupting anything. Also all players would need to stay on property as having the ability to leave completely defeats the purpose of this! I am all for it but it for sure aint up to us!
 
Las Vegas is probably the first choice. I'm sure they'd play around 10 regular season games first. Season has been suspended for too long to go right into the playoffs and expect good play. Regional Sports Networks paid for 70 regular season broadcasts. I'm sure meeting that obligation would be a goal.
 
WDW Pro posted on another board
Disney is currently in talks with the NBA to resume the NBA season / postseason with the players finishing all games at the ESPN complex. Details are being negotiated, and could fall through, but players would likely stay at Caribbean Beach Resort with Cayman, Sea Breeze, and Victory Way closed except to NBA and Disney vehicles. The aim would be to restart the NBA in late May to early June. Again, this could fall through, but it is being worked on and I believe some details have already begun to leak.

I'm surprised they're not looking at a deluxe. Maybe the concern is cleaning (disinfecting) interior corridors daily (or more often)
 
WDW Pro posted on another board
Disney is currently in talks with the NBA to resume the NBA season / postseason with the players finishing all games at the ESPN complex. Details are being negotiated, and could fall through, but players would likely stay at Caribbean Beach Resort with Cayman, Sea Breeze, and Victory Way closed except to NBA and Disney vehicles. The aim would be to restart the NBA in late May to early June. Again, this could fall through, but it is being worked on and I believe some details have already begun to leak.

I'm surprised they're not looking at a deluxe. Maybe the concern is cleaning (disinfecting) interior corridors daily (or more often)
I think they are looking at something close to WWoS not just luxury.
 
I think they are looking at something close to WWoS not just luxury.
Probably. I just can't imagine someone like Lebron James at Pop or Art of Animation haha. Maybe as someone mentioned above, those players could just rent a room and car and stay at a swankier place, on property*.
 
Thinking about this a bit more - I personally think it would make more sense for MLB to resume play at the sports complex before the NBA since quite a few teams already use it for spring training. I dunno. I do know that I'd love to have something beyond YouTube and daytime broadcast TV to watch at this point! :)
 
I think they are looking at something close to WWoS not just luxury.

A 10 minute longer bus ride shouldn't matter. Closing Victory Way is easy. Not sure if it would be as easy closing roads from other resorts. They could use Riviera. That's why I wonder if, under these circumstances, a hotel with exterior corridors might be an advantage.
Thinking about this a bit more - I personally think it would make more sense for MLB to resume play at the sports complex before the NBA since quite a few teams already use it for spring training. I dunno. I do know that I'd love to have something beyond YouTube and daytime broadcast TV to watch at this point! :)

Basketball has significantly fewer players then MLB. Basketball is almost done with their regular season. The chance of having playoffs, with full arenas,, this year is probably a pipe dream. NBA can probably do alright with just TV revenue. Loss of a live gate might have a bigger impact on MLB.
 
Thinking about this a bit more - I personally think it would make more sense for MLB to resume play at the sports complex before the NBA since quite a few teams already use it for spring training. I dunno. I do know that I'd love to have something beyond YouTube and daytime broadcast TV to watch at this point! :)
Actually NO MLB teams use the ESPN sports complex. Until last year or perhaps the year before the Atlanta Braves used the complex. The only other times other teams would be there would be in conjunction with spring training games against the Braves.

I had heard about Las Vegas, NBA G league plays there, however how many venues in Las Vegas are broadcast ready for telecasts. Telecast broadcast fees are a significant part of the revenues that team budget for. Based on the article I posted in starting this thread, the Disney facilities are broadcast ready.

In addition they could utilize the Orlando Magic home court and UCF's. This would mean leaving Disney, but they could lock down those buildings.

As I said in my original post. I definitely don't see them using the Pop Century and Art of Animation. I see them putting the players in the Rivera. If they need more high quality space they could use the Waldorf Astoria (although this would make Disney cringe). Alternately they could use the Four season for overflow.

They could use the CBR for the teams' support staff.
 
My cousin works for the Hawks and he's one of the least Disney people in my family. It's so weird that he might be there while the rest of us Disneyphiles can't go.
 
A 10 minute longer bus ride shouldn't matter. Closing Victory Way is easy. Not sure if it would be as easy closing roads from other resorts. They could use Riviera. That's why I wonder if, under these circumstances, a hotel with exterior corridors might be an advantage.


Basketball has significantly fewer players then MLB. Basketball is almost done with their regular season. The chance of having playoffs, with full arenas,, this year is probably a pipe dream. NBA can probably do alright with just TV revenue. Loss of a live gate might have a bigger impact on MLB.
I know MLB's TV numbers have been down over the last decade+, but if it was the only thing on people would watch it. It could actually give the MLB a major resurgence.
 

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