Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson says although guys in the league want games to start up again, ultimately you can’t put a price tag on health. Thompson spoke to Cavs reporters on a conference call on Thursday and talked about how he wants basketball to return only if it’s safe:
“Guys want to play. Everybody wants to see basketball. … But I think the main concern is how can we do it in a way where everyone is at peace when they go to work. I think that’s the most important thing. As long as guys aren’t second guessing or hesitating, then we can start moving forward. None of that can be done until there’s a direction in our country health wise,” the Cavs center said, with the Akron Beacon Journal.
“Basketball, it’s opened a lot of doors for myself and my family and created great opportunities, but at the end of the day, you can’t put a price tag on health.”
NBA owners are hopeful of resuming the 2019-20 season in June or July and then finishing it in September.
However, that scenario can only happen if the coronavirus pandemic dies down.
Thompson and the Cavs had the worst record in the Eastern Conference standings before the 2019-20 season was suspended. Cleveland won just 19 games before Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID-19 test.
Thompson appeared in 57 games for the Cavs before games were put to a halt. He was averaging 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 51.2 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from beyond the arc and 61.5 percent from the free-throw line.