The NBA’s return is going ahead as scheduled and we’ll have basketball back by the end of July.
At least, that’s what they’re telling us anyway.
As we inch closer and closer to the league’s return, there are more reasons to believe that this thing might not go forward as planned. Not in the initial Disney World bubble structure they intended on, at the very least.
A sizable group of players just don’t seem to be very comfortable with it.
Kyrie Irving is leading the charge, according to a report from Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks and Howard Beck, and could have up to 150 players on a single conference call on Friday to voice their concerns.
MORE: I've spoken to multiple players, about 5 days ago there was a zoom call of about 50 players discussing what they can do to take a stand. They are planning another call tonight with about 150 players to solidify what that stand is and stress this only works if they unify. https://t.co/FsklmAiD1I
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) June 12, 2020
There's growing concern re NBA's bubble plan. Players want more freedom of movement while in Orlando. One agent estimates that 2/3 of the top 40 would refuse to play under the proposed restrictions. https://t.co/IrM5MHPu5e
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 12, 2020
Players are understandably concerned about their restrictions and accommodations, in addition to their health.
So it totally makes sense that players are openly and publicly complaining about a report on Friday from NBC Sports that Disney support staff won’t be subject to NBA bubble protocols.
Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose? 🤔 https://t.co/CY9Qz2odw8
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) June 12, 2020
Wait what? https://t.co/4ZCm5DxgjQ
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) June 12, 2020
So…there isn’t a bubble. https://t.co/ljLrsAbUhd
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) June 12, 2020
It’s hard to blame them, honestly. They’ll be stuck in one place for three straight months away from family and friends as they try and finish out the season.
Yet, at the same time, there will still be people moving in and out of the bubble created that is intended to keep the players safe.
Let’s be real. Those people likely won’t ever make contact with NBA players and it would be unreasonable to actually ask them to quarantine on the campus for three months.
But at the same time, they do increase risk — even if it’s ever so slightly. And these NBA players are being asked to sacrifice their personal lives for months at a time just to finish out the season.
As our own Andy Nesbitt points out, many of them know they have no shot at a title. So what’s the point?
I know teams that think they can win the title are likely all in on this, but what about the teams that know they can’t? Could they possible derail this thing? There is still a lot of time before the teams report to Orlando in July, which also concerns me. If we’ve learned anything over the past few months it’s that things can change in a hurry.
No matter how you cut it, this is yet another roadblock on the NBA’s road to its return. Nothing is guaranteed at this point. We’re still a ways away from the return date and it’s clear that players aren’t at all comfortable with how things are right now.
If the NBA wants to make its comeback, they need to address that and do it quickly.
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