In which we examine exactly how the Disney ‘bubble’ campus will work for the NBA for the duration of their stay.
The Boston Celtics join 21 other teams in the Disney-hosted restart taking place in the Wide World of Sports complex where the NBA will complete its 2019-20 season with the knowledge that the league has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure their safety.
With the threat posed by the coronavirus that interrupted the season in the first place spiking in the state of Florida, it is unclear whether those extraordinary lengths have gone far enough.
But, the comprehensive plan has been vetted by a number of experts in the field of epidemiology, including one of the most trusted names in the field, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Whether it works or not will soon become evident.
But what is that nebulous “it” we keep talking about? Our parent site, USA TODAY, put together an outstanding synopsis of how the league plans to keep players safe, which we’ll review here.
To start, the complex is 220 acres in size, and relatively isolated not only from the suburban surroundings but also from the other Disney properties.
The hotels are closer to the various Disney theme parks, but require passing through the same entrances as the public, and according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, players will not be stopped from leaving — but are expected to adhere to the rules.
With after-hours access available to players, the hope appears to be that any temptation to join the general public there will be muted, though this appears to be one of the bigger threats to the NBA campus’ safety.
To keep the relative population of the NBA campus lower and risk smaller, families and guests will not be able to arrive until the end of the first round of the playoffs, when the number of teams participating drops in half from 16 to eight.
There will of course be no fans in the stands, and team staff size has been limited for safety reasons as well.
Masks and social distancing (outside of practices and games) will be required in all shared public locations despite the other safety precautions.
And even at games, the bulk of people present will be required to wear masks.
Most importantly, the league will use a robust testing regime, beginning on arrival and continuing as the league feels is necessary.
Daily monitoring of body temperature and symptoms as well as a heart rate monitor ring are additional tools available to the NBA and players to limit potential contagion.
Disney staff will be cleaning various areas and locations of the campus based on how it is used and the risk it prevents as well.
That same staff will also work at take-out restaurant locations on-site to minimize the number of people being on the campus, and will be subject ot the same stringent preventative measures as the players, with regular health checks in place.
They will not be staying on the campus itself, though — another source of potential risk, however minimal.
The entire experiment appears to hinge on a combination of trust between players and the staff of the teams, league and Disney, buttressed — but not fully protected by — the protective measures noted above.
With a little luck and a lot of cooperation, it is not impossible to see such a venture managing to make it to its hoped-for end in an NBA championship and a more stable financial picture for the league.
But it could all come crashing down with even one misstep, too.
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