As states around the country continue to relax social distancing guidelines involving in-person meetings, a chorus of governors have announced their openness to live sports events in the immediate future, with some offering their states as test sites for teams and leagues looking to restart competition during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he has pitched sports teams on broadcasting games without spectators from facilities in his state.

The governors that expressed openness to restarting live sports Monday are enduring different stages of the coronavirus crisis, highlighting the absence of a clear directive from federal health officials about when it is safe for athletic competition to restart.

Even as state officials plan to welcome athletics back, major American sports leagues themselves ― that is, players, team executives and staff ― are all in deliberation among themselves about how or if it may be possible to return safely, and the perspectives are varied.

In the NBA, for example, a number of star players, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, recently joined a conference call to express their desire to resume the 2019-2020 season when states permit live sports again.

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