Outbreaks, tantrums and opt-outs: Major sports leagues attempt to restart amid pandemic

iStock/Vadim ZhakupovBY: KARMA ALLEN (NEW YORK) — As the National Basketball Association prepares to restart its season, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that the season likely would “cease completely” if a coronavirus outbreak occurred within the league’s carefully crafted pandemic bubble. Silver’s comments came as Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins announced that 18 combined players and coaches had contracted the virus, hampering baseball’s long-awaited return and casting doubt on the current sustainability of live sports. After halting play back in March, the NBA is set to restart the 2019-20 season on Thursday with all games scheduled to take place inside the NBA’s