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NBPA: 'Overwhelming' sentiment is players want to resume season

David Dow / National Basketball Association / Getty

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National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts maintains the "overwhelming" stance held by players is that "they really want to play" and finish the 2019-20 season, she told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.

"It's time. It's been two-and-a-half months of 'What if?' My players need some level of certainty," Roberts said. "I think everybody does."

Roberts added she's hopeful the NBA will continue to divulge information on a potential restart in order to effectively gauge players' opinions.

"Let's just get it out there because our guys need to know," she said. "Certainty will be good. But the players really want to play."

The NBA announced Saturday that it has begun "exploratory conversations" about hosting the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. It remains unclear whether the league plans to schedule additional regular-season games or proceed straight to the playoffs.

Roberts intends to discuss further details of a potential return with players from all 30 teams over the coming week, she told Shelburne.

Some of the game's biggest names appear to exemplify this desire. During a reported conference call earlier in May, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo were among nine superstars who agreed they wanted to save the season, which was suspended March 11.

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