Austin Rivers: No Asterisk For 2020 Finals Winner After Coronavirus Suspension

Rivers: "Whoever wins this, it’s going to be the hardest championship ever won."

The 2019-20 season has been now been suspended for over two months as the world battles the COVID-19 crisis, and there is little clarity on how the league will move forward in the coming months. 

Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office are currently exploring a slate of contingencies for restarting the 2019-20 season, including a potential quarantined playoffs in Las Vegas or Orlando. Yet amid all the uncertainty, one thing is for sure: the rest of the 2019-20 season will mark an unprecedented moment in league history.

The NBA's strange season has invited questions regarding the legitimacy of any potential champion in 20219-20, especially if the postseason schedule is shortened. But to Rockets guard Austin Rivers, there will be no asterisk attached to any Finals winner. In fact, capturing the title in 2020 may be one of the greatest accomplishments in recent memory. 

"People have been saying, whoever wins, it’s going to have a blip [asterisk] next to it. I personally believe it’s the complete opposite," Rivers told Rockets broadcaster Craig Ackerman. "Whoever wins this year really had to go get it and earn it, and had guys who took time off seriously and still stayed in shape, and was able to get back the chemistry, true chemistry. So many things. In my eyes, whoever wins this, it’s going to be the hardest championship ever won."

Rivers and the rest of the NBA is unlikely to worry about a potential asterisk based on Silver's comments on May 8. Silver reportedly told players the league is looking to hold a full playoffs with four seven-game series, continuing the regular postseason schedule with no adjustments. With over 60 regular-season games in the books and a full playoffs, the idea of an asterisks doesn't hold up upon further scrutiny.

The NBA officially halted to play on March 11. Numerous players have since tested positive for COVID-19, including Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, as well as two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant. No return date has been set for 2019-20 as of Tuesday afternoon.