Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has announced that the NBA will play in Walt Disney World during a press conference. Disney themselves has yet to comment though.

Yesterday, Mayor Demings said that some of the professional sports leagues are coming to Florida, including the NBA:

“NBA will have competitive games…and all of this will take place out at Disney. Disney has gone to great lengths to ensure the safety of those players and the sanitation associated with the facilities that they will be living in and playing in, so that those games will be broadcast for our pleasure. We want to see those games continue.”

This goes along with the rumors we were hearing about the NBA coming. The NBA Board of Governors have already voted in favor of moving the games to Walt Disney World, but Disney had to agree.

We’ve been hearing rumors that Disney is planning on using the NBA as a boost for ESPN and Disney+. They will likely be running commercials for the streaming service and vacation destination throughout the games.  It’s also rumored that the NBA would be put in the Coronado Springs Resort. Of course none of this has been confirmed.

NESN has a rumored timeline for the NBA season at the park:

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski they are working on a timeline on how the season will progress.

“The NBA has been working to make clear to players that the actual commitment of time for most teams in Orlando may be less daunting than originally perceived, especially once seen in the context of the timetables constructed into the leagues’s revised schedule.”

• 14 of the 22 teams will be eliminated within 53 days of arriving in Orlando. Some of the earlier eliminated teams might only be there 35-40 days. Only four teams will be there by day 67 and it will end after the 82nd day for everyone.
• Training camp will begin July 9-11 and games should begin on July 30th.
• The finals will likely begin on September 30 and all be over by October 12.

Now we are hearing a rumor that not just players but NBA Reporters could also be trapped at Walt Disney World for the duration of the event.

The Daily Beast has a memo that indicates “According to a Professional Basketball Writers Association memo, a select group of reporters could be locked inside the Disney bubble for at least three-and-a-half months—with no option to re-enter if they exit quarantine.”

“According to an email sent by Josh Robbins, the president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association, the answer is that the NBA will allow a select group of journalists onto the premises—but they will be stuck there the whole time and such a privilege won’t come cheaply.

The email, which was sent to all PBWA members on June 3 and labeled “an off-the-record communication not to be reported on in any form,” stressed that negotiations were ongoing and subject to change.”

I think everything regarding scheduling and staff is still fluid at this point until an official announcement is made, but I think we will be getting final confirmation soon.

What do you think? Comment and let us know.

Sources: BlogMickey, Daily Beast, NESN,