The NBA continues to explore options to resume their regular season, with hopes of crowning an NBA Champion before Labor Day. There are several options currently on the table, but the league continues to play a waiting game.
The NBA has done its best to provide sports content during the coronavirus pandemic, and they are set to deliver again this weekend. Last weekend it was NBA Players taking part in an NBA2K live tournament, and this weekend it’s one of the most popular playground sporting competitions.
The NBA H-O-R-S-E challenge will begin on Easter Sunday, with the quarterfinal matchups set to air on ESPN. There are currently eight players entered in the competition that will feature a mixture of current and former NBA players, as well as WNBA stars.
There are two groups, and all of the participants will be playing from their “home” court, and the matchups will be virtual.
H-O-R-S-E rules are relatively simple to understand. The first shooter will take a shot from whatever spot that they choose. If they make the shot, then shooter two will have to make the same shot, or they receive a letter if they miss.
The first person that can get their opponent all five letters to spell out H-O-R-S-E will win the game. Oh, and the NBA has implemented a rule that no dunks are allowed.
Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Trae Young is the favorite in this competition, currently listed at +235. He will be taking on former NBA star Chauncey Billups, who is listed at +825.
Mike Conley (+475), currently of the Utah Jazz, will be taking on Tamika Catchings (+1800) in the other first-round matchup in group one. Catchings is a retired WNBA legend.
Group two is highlighted by Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine, who is currently listed at +400. LaVine will be taking on Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce in the first round. The final quarterfinal matchup will pair Chris Paul (+325) against WNBA sharpshooter Allie Quigley (+1200).
The quarterfinals will be aired on ESPN on Sunday, beginning at 7 pm Eastern. The semifinals and finals will be shown on ESPN on April 16, beginning at 9 pm Eastern.
State Farm is the title sponsor of this event, and they are donating over $200,000 to coronavirus relief efforts. The winner of the tournament will not receive any prize other than bragging rights.
Sportsbooks are willing to offer bets on this H-O-R-S-E game produced by the NBA, but they have struggled to figure out how to handicap this event. Little information is known about the “home courts” of each player, and there could be several factors determining how this all plays out.
NBA Teams Want to Delay 2020 Draft
Several NBA teams have joined forces in trying to get the date of the 2020 NBA Draft pushed back. The original date is scheduled for June 25, but teams around the league are hoping that it can be pushed back to no sooner than Aug. 1.
General managers and team executives are struggling gathering information about draft prospects during the coronavirus pandemic, and they want more time in the evaluation process.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has set a date of May 1 as to when the league would begin exploring options for the remainder of the league year. Most team executives believe that the league will not conduct the 2020 NBA Draft until the conclusion of the season, which could spill into September.
The NCAA will also play a huge role in this process because they currently have a firm date set of when players must either withdraw their names from the draft or hire an agent and give up their scholarship.
