Source: Sarah Stier / Getty
As if 2020 couldn’t get any worse, you won’t get to see any terrible NBA Draft Day ‘fits this year.
The world is in its eighth month of the coronavirus pandemic, which makes the NBA is rightfully cautious of large indoor gatherings, so this year’s draft will be held virtual in ESPN‘s studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The top tier talent will be available via video chat so you can still see their reactions as their lives are about to change forever.
While many of the players’ coaches and family won’t technically be in attendance, the commissioner will still be there to usher in the newest crop of talented ballers.
“Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will appear in-studio at ESPN to announce the selections for the first and second rounds, respectively,” reads the press release. “Select draftees, including many of the potential top picks, will appear virtually.”
No more information has been released if the rounds beyond the second will be televised if ESPN doesn’t plan on showing the players.
The draft has been taking place in Brooklyn’s Barclays arena since its inception in 2012, and things were expected to be the same this year, albeit much later since the season finished more than four months later than usual after the league got settled in the bubble.
The draft will now take place on November 18 and will air live on ESPN, ESPN Radio, and the ESPN App, beginning at 7 p.m.
We’re not naming any names, but the look on kids’ faces in the stand as certain teams make head-scratching decisions will surely be missed. The league has not released any other information regarding the draft or when the 2020-21 season will kick-off.
