The owner of the Houston Rockets predicts NBA play will resume in "the next few weeks," following its suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak.

During a White House forum Monday, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said he expected the league to pick up the remainder of the season soon, assuming states continue to reopen and no spikes in coronavirus cases occur.

"I think what they're doing is waiting to see what happens in certain states, and if we're going to be able to play, making sure the virus continues to go in the right direction in the next few weeks," Fertitta said.

Fertitta said players "need to play to get paid," suggesting an urgency from the NBA workforce to get back on to the court to start making money again. The Rockets owner and the president both think it is best to continue the regular season prior to beginning the playoffs.

"I think that if things keep going the way that it's going, I think the NBA . . . will make the decision to try to start the season up again," he added.

Professional and collegiate sports in the United States were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic. Professional golf and NASCAR restarted their seasons last weekend.

California and New York announced plans Monday to get sports leagues back in action without fans as both states roll out strategies to reopen region-by-region.

• Cuomo Asks Major Sports Leagues to Play Without Fans
• Gov. Newsom Eases Some California Reopening Criteria