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Gov. Murphy says pro sports teams in N.J. ‘can return to training and competition’; Sixers and Flyers could begin practicing soon

The Sixers practice in Camden, while the Flyers skate in Voorhees.

We may see Sixers center Joel Embiid, right, and Tobias Harris on the team's practice floor in Camden.
We may see Sixers center Joel Embiid, right, and Tobias Harris on the team's practice floor in Camden.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
    by Keith Pompey
    Updated 
    Published 

All signs point to the 76ers being able to reopen their Camden practice facility soon.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday that all professional sports teams in the state can return to training and competition “if their leagues choose to move in that direction” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Flyers’ practice facility also is in South Jersey.

“I recognize that, obviously, not all of our sports are back,” Murphy said Tuesday during his press conference. "And we continue our work with all of our stakeholders, including if not especially youth sports leagues, to hopefully see their resumption in the near future.

“But where professional teams are concerned, and with the facilities and resources they have to meet the demands of public health, we felt we could take that step forward.”

NBA practice facilities reopened for individual on-court workouts on May 8 in some cities, but the 76ers have not been among the teams that unlocked their gym doors. Only teams in cities and states in which local governments have eased restrictions on facilities were allowed to open. As of last week, 17 of the league’s 30 teams allowed players to start working out at the team facilities.

On Friday, Murphy signed an executive order increasing the capacity limit to outdoor recreational gatherings from 10 to 25 people. The limit on indoor gatherings remains at 10 people. Also on Friday, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said the United States will exempt some foreign athletes who compete in professional sporting events in the United States from the entry bans imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, NHL, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, ATP, and WTA are covered by the exemption.

» READ MORE: NBA testing for antibodies: Walt Disney World the frontrunner as player site if season resumes

The NBA suspended its season on March 11 and practice facilities were closed March 20. The league is having serious discussions with The Walt Disney Company about resuming the 2019-20 season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., as a single site to host games without fans.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league owners will discuss the resumption plans during Friday’s board of governors meeting.