In case you have missed the big news, the NBA is set to resume the 2019-20 season on July 30 in a “bubble site” in Orlando. There are a few players who are hesitant about returning due to the health risks that come with COVID-19 and a lot are also concerned that the NBA return will take a lot of the focus off of the Black Lives Matter movement at the moment.
The league has announced that they will not punish players for not choosing head to Orlando and finish up the season. The only thing that will count against them will be their compensation as they will lose some money for every game missed.
The league has announced there are two categories for excused absences for players who don’t want to resume the season. These categories will be for players who may be more at risk for the virus than others. The deadline for those players will be set for June 25.
Sources: Two categories of non-participating NBA players who will not have their salary reduced: “Protected Players” and “Excused Players,” whom are believed to be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 from team/experts. June 25 deadline for excused absence.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
The league has also set guidelines for what happens when a player leaves the bubble in Orlando without approval from league officials.
Sources: NBA players have been informed that anyone who leaves the Orlando campus (without prior approval) will be subject to:
– 10-14 day self-quarantine
– Reduction in compensation for games missed
– Enhanced testing (deep nasal swab)— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
These are all necessary steps the league is taking to ensure that everybody remains safe during this unprecedented time. [lawrence-related id=33121,33113,33103]