Las Vegas loses out to Orlando for resumption of NBA season

Las Vegas will not host the remainder of the NBA season, after all.

The league has begun exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Co. about continuing its 2019-20 season at its ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, the league announced Saturday.

“The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement.

“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” the statement concluded.

The NBA says it has begun talks with Disney, one of its two main television partners, to restart the remainder of the 2019-20 season in late July at the Wide World of SPORTS Complex in Orlando as “the single site for an NBA campus.” Statement from league spokesman Mike Bass: pic.twitter.com/fIvzx822of

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 23, 2020

The NBA had considered using multiple sites — including Las Vegas — for the resumption of its season amid the coronavirus pandemic, and Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry told CNBC this week that the league would “probably” use Orlando on the East Coast and Las Vegas on the West Coast.

MGM Resorts International had offered to host the league’s return and had the requisite hotel and arena space to accommodate the league.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.