Coronavirus: Cavs' Thompson wants to see NBA playoffs

New York, May 15: Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson wants to see the NBA playoffs take place following the coronavirus outbreak.

The 2019-20 NBA campaign has been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has wreaked havoc globally – pushing the Olympic Games and Euro 2020 back a year.

At the time of postponement, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) owned the best record in the league, ahead of LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers (49-14), the Toronto Raptors (46-18) and Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers (44-20).

It remains to be seen when, and if, the season will resume but Thompson said on Thursday: "Guys want to play."

The Cavaliers are an Eastern Conference-worst 19-46 and will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Thompson, who is eligible for free agency after this season, was on a conference call last week with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and one of his biggest takeaways was that players – especially the ones with a chance to win a title – are eager to get back on the court as soon as possible.

"They're trying to win a championship, so I understand where they're coming from and they know everybody wants to see basketball," Thompson – a 2016 NBA champion with the Cavaliers – said from Los Angeles.

"Everybody wants to watch the playoffs. I want to watch the playoffs, with my friends, you know cheering and going crazy.

"But the main concern is just how do we do it in a way where everyone's at peace when they go to work."