SALT LAKE CITY — On the day the NBA took a monumental step in returning to play for the 2019-20 season, it was officially determined that the remainder of its development league’s campaign would be canceled.
The NBA G League announced Thursday afternoon that it will not play the rest of this season, which for the Salt Lake City Stars — the Utah Jazz’s affiliate — included eight regular season games plus the playoffs.
When the league was suspended on March 12, the Stars were atop the Western Conference standings with a 30-12 record — 3.5 games ahead of the Memphis Hustle — and were riding a six-game win streak.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the cancellation shortly before the league’s official announcement, and added that players were paid their full salaries and health benefits.
“While disappointing, we fully support the NBA G League’s announcement canceling the remainder of the 2019-20 season,” Stars president Jonathan Rinehart said in a statement. “We know this was an extremely hard decision driven by many factors, but a necessary one, as the health and safety of our community is paramount.
“I am grateful to our players, coaches and staff for their remarkable efforts and contributions over the course of the season, and especially to our fans and partners for their tremendous support. We would have enjoyed competing for a championship following the most successful season in Stars history, but now we turn our focus to returning to the court for the 2020-21 campaign.
Rinehart took the opportunity to add, “At the same time, we recognize that there are much larger issues of pain and trauma facing our country. We are committed to lending our voice to address systemic racial injustice and continuing to help those in need.”
G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who played 12 years in the NBA, said in a statement that end-of-season awards would be announced “in the coming weeks.”