NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media prior to the start of the 2022 NBA Finals.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver canceled plans to attend Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics on Monday night because of the league’s health and safety protocols.
Silver typically attends all finals games.
The league did not say if Silver had tested positive for COVID-19 or been deemed a close contact of someone who had, nor released any details about his health.
Commissioner Adam Silver will not attend Game 5 of the Finals tonight due to the NBA’s Health & Safety Protocols.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 13, 2022
Also unclear is when Silver will be able to resume attending games. Part of his role as commissioner involves handing out the league’s championship trophy, which one team will be awarded either Thursday in Boston or Sunday in San Francisco.
Silver has been the NBA’s commissioner since February 2014. This is the ninth championship series the league has held during his tenure, including the 2020 season that resumed inside a bubble at Walt Disney World in Florida in the early stages of the pandemic.