Report: MGM pitched leagues on massive Vegas quarantine zone
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MGM Resorts International pitched several professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer, on large-scale plans to hold sporting events in a quarantined segment of the Las Vegas strip, sources told the New York Times' Kevin Draper.
A proposal sent to the NBA focused on the 4,700-room Mandalay Bay Resort, according to Draper. The plan envisions athletes being joined by their families, league and broadcast media employees, and support staff. Housekeepers and caterers would stay at the neighboring Luxor Hotel.
The plan calls for as many as two-dozen basketball courts to be built at the Mandalay Bay convention center, which is home to the WNBA's Aces. UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center, which hosts the NBA's annual summer league, was also mentioned as a possible site.
"Any person entering the integrated resort would have to go through agreed health, safety, and quarantine protocols," the proposal stated, according to Draper.
Anyone entering the facility would also be required to remain there for the duration of their stay in Las Vegas. MGM reportedly hired a health and safety consultant as an adviser and said it would secure all medical testing equipment.
It's been widely reported that the NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball are considering quarantined environments if able to resume or start their respective seasons. On Thursday, a report surfaced that the NBA was also considering the Walt Disney World Resort property near Orlando as a possibility.
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