Glimmer Of Hope: We May Be Closer To Hoops Returning With The NBA Exploring A Rapid-Response Testing Device To Determine If Players Are Healthy

[Source] - In recent weeks, officials within the NBA and NBPA have been collaborating in assessing the viability of multiple blood-testing devices for the coronavirus that could provide accurate results within a matter of minutes, a process that would hopefully enable the league to track the virus in what is considered a critical first step toward resuming play in the near future.

The Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories began shipping its rapid-response tests across the U.S. last week, according to a Washington Post report. The tests, which have been approved by the FDA, are said to deliver results in five to 13 minutes.

I 100% understand this is the exploratory phase and this is a long shot. But we've reached day 20 whatever of this quarantine and all I want is a glimmer of hope. We got a little bit of that with golf rescheduling and putting out mid-June for the Memorial to return. That's some light at the end of the tunnel! Hell, we even had baseball coming up with some sort of plan: 

Even if this works there are still a million hurdles to get over. They would likely just send the league to Vegas to keep everyone in a bubble and play all in the same arena. There would obviously be no fans. How would they reset the league? Just go immediately into the playoffs with a 30-team Tournament? I'd be down with that. I said it before. Set it up so teams like the Bucks and Lakers, who are clear No. 1 seeds in their conference get byes. Then put teams that are at the bottom the standings in a play-in Tournament, play the games during the day - Eastern Conference on Thursday, Western on Friday. 

That said, Adam Silver is even pessimistic of the entire season. He said there won't be any sort of answer about the season until May 1

Maybe by then we'll find out more about these rapid-result devices. The NBA even says that if these devices to work and come out, they have to defer to higher-prioritized people: 

"Even if the technology is there, is it accessible?" said another athletic training official with firsthand knowledge of the process. "Because obviously we have higher-priority people that may need that, like our emergency workers and health care professionals that definitely take a priority over our players."

I would argue that after the emergency workers and health care professionals that athletes are the next on the priority list. We need sports back. They are our saving grace. 95% of the world watches at least a sport. Pick any one and people watch it. We need an escape from the repetitive news cycle, the gloom and doom of it all. 

That's why we're going to be positive here. We need to start having a glimmer of hope. We need something to hold on to in order to get through this quarantine. So come on rapid-result devices. Get everyone in healthcare and emergency workers and then let's get some sports back on.