Tag: NBA bubble

Report: Danuel House apologized to Rockets before leaving bubble

Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic, House delivered an apology to his Houston teammates before leaving Disney World.

Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. reportedly apologized to his teammates before leaving the NBA’s “bubble” complex earlier this month, according to a new report from Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

House missed Houston’s final three playoff games after the NBA determined that he had close contact with an unauthorized person in the team’s hotel — allegedly, a female COVID-19 testing official. House left the league’s Disney World bubble at the conclusion of an investigation.

While testing officials are allowed at the bubble, they go in and out each day and (unlike players) do not live there. Thus, as with maintenance staff, the NBA has strict protocols in place to minimize the potential exposure of those workers to personnel living at the site. House violated those safety protocols, so he faced harsh discipline. Making matters worse, House initially denied the accusation before eventually confirming it.

In a mailbag story posted Thursday, Iko writes that House apologized to the entire Houston team before his departure.

From what I understand, House apologized to the entire team before exiting the bubble. It was a bad decision made on his part, but one that didn’t just affect the team — it might have affected his future.

The Rockets went 0-3 in those games without House, and All-Star guard James Harden called it “a distraction” upon Houston’s second-round exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. “Very, very disappointing,” Harden said. “It affected us. He was a huge part of our rotation.”

Now 27 years old, House averaged 11.4 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 5.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game during the playoffs. The 6-foot-6 forward is still under contract with Houston for two more seasons.

Even with his secure contractual status, though, the harsh comments by an established team leader in Harden left many wondering if the Rockets might look to trade House in the offseason as a result of the incident.

While it’s far too soon to say that won’t happen, the initial step by House of apologizing to teammates would seem to be a positive sign that he’s willing to try and make amends and earn back the team’s trust.

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Kevin Durant reacts to NBA bubble departure of Danuel House Jr.

Kevin Durant on Danuel House: “If you’ve been in a bubble away from some action for three months? I mean, you can’t blame him, dog.”

Brooklyn Nets superstar and former league MVP Kevin Durant seemed to find some humor in the unusual situation that recently led to the exit of Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. from the NBA “bubble.”

House missed Houston’s final three playoff games after the NBA determined that he had close contact with an unauthorized person in the team hotel — allegedly, a female COVID-19 testing official.

While testing officials are allowed inside the bubble, they go in and out each day and (unlike players) do not live there. Thus, as with maintenance staff, the NBA has strict protocols in place to minimize the potential exposure of those workers to personnel living at the bubble. House violated those safety protocols, so he faced harsh discipline.

The Rockets were 0-3 after losing House, so it’s certainly a sore subject within the team and its fan base. But for those removed from the situation, such as Durant, it could be more understandable.

In a recent appearance on The Joe Budden Podcast, Durant said:

If you’ve been in a bubble away from some action for three months? I mean, you can’t blame him, dog. And I heard it was no females at all outside of that [COVID testers]. The maids were all men, there was nothing but men around. After a couple months, you down 3-1? Nah. He said, ‘I don’t give a f–k no more, man.’

Jokes aside, Durant’s timeline is slightly off. The Rockets were down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers at the time of the NBA’s discipline, but the second-round series was tied, 1-1, when the incident took place.

Now 27 years old, House averaged 11.4 points (35.8% on 3-pointers) and 5.8 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game during the playoffs. The 6-foot-6 forward is under contract with Houston for two more seasons.

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Gordon Hayward is Boston’s x-factor to win the Eastern Conference Finals

“Don’t underestimate the power of a mustache”
Charles Curtis explains why Gordon Hayward is Boston’s X factor in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Don’t underestimate the power of a mustache”
Charles Curtis explains why Gordon Hayward is Boston’s X factor in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Chris Paul joins CNN’s Don Lemon to talk voting, bubble advocacy, Trump

CNN’s Don Lemon spoke to Chris Paul and Taylor Rooks about the NBA bubble and player advocacy that took place inside.

On National Voter Registration Day, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul joined CITIZEN by CNN with Don Lemon and was joined by reporter Taylor Rooks.

They talked about the the group he co-chairs When We All Vote, advocacy in the NBA bubble and topics surrounding social injustice.

While the Thunder were in the bubble, Paul made sure to spend time during press conferences talking about about racial inequality and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

When Rooks asked him about it Tuesday, he pointed out that he was not the only one.

“There were a number of guys who spoke out on things, day in and day out,” he said, specifying Jaylen Brown, Andre Iguodala and CJ McCollum.

“The intensity of the game is real. Everything that goes into the game, the preparation, the practices, and all this different type of stuff, but guys – we were away from our families. And all of this stuff is going on, and it weighed on guys heavily.”

That was an important piece of Paul’s CNN interview. He pointed out that while they may be star athletes on the court, once they’re off, they’re normal people.

“If you saw Jamal Murray when he had that unbelievable game in the playoffs, he was in tears because we are human beings,” Paul said.

“Yes we’re talented, yes we like to play the game that we love, yes you see us on TV all the time, but as soon as these games are over, we go back to being regular people with our families.”

Because of that, what they see in the world weighs on them as much as it does people with normal 9-5 jobs. In the bubble, away from families, players had less to focus on and more time to discuss the world among themselves.

That’s something that helped these organized protests and strikes take place.

“What happens a lot of times during the NBA season is you play against guys on other teams, and after the game you say, ‘Alright man, how’s your family,’ and everybody just says ‘Good’ and you go separate ways,” Paul said.

“We really got a chance to connect in the bubble, we got a chance to really spend time with each other, we really got a chance to sit down at the table and figure out what we want our plan to be going forward.”

Lemon asked Paul about how he would respond to people who dislike the protests, including President Donald Trump, who, as Lemon noted, called Colin Kaepernick and other NFL players who knelt during the National Anthem to protest police brutality “sons of (expletive).”

“It’s unfortunate cause the people will cheer for you while you’re playing the games, or while you’re running up and down the field or up and down the court, but I think what we have all come to understand is that we have to do what we think is right,” Paul said.

“You have to stand for something and at the end of the day when you have kids and different people watching, you understand that it’s bigger than what he’s saying and all the name calling.”

Lemon also asked Paul if he had a preference in the presidential election.

Paul did not answer directly, but instead said it’s “unbelievably important to respect the office.”

“When I was a young kid in school, one thing about the president – I didn’t know politics as a kid, but I knew if it was (George W.) Bush, if it was (Bill) Clinton, I respected the office. And I think that that’s very important for my kids, to make sure that they respect whoever is in office,” he said.

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Predicting the NBA Western Conference Finals

The Denver Nuggets have gone on a run for the ages. Can they continue it against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? Charles Curtis and Mike Sykes discuss

The Denver Nuggets have gone on a run for the ages. Can they continue it against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? Charles Curtis and Mike Sykes discuss

LeBron James shows off presidential suite from inside the NBA Bubble

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James provided a look inside his presidential suite to the folks at NBA Bubble Life.

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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have been in the NBA Bubble for over two months now and if things go as they plan, they still have a little less than a month to go before they leave. But while several players took fans inside their bubble abodes over the last two months, one question had been asked by inquiring minds: what kind of place is LeBron staying in? Well, now we finally have the answer.

LeBron finally gave fans a look inside his incredible presidential suite at the Gran Destino via the folks at the NBA Bubble Life account on twitter.

James has given his fans more of a look inside his life in the bubble, especially over the past couple of weeks. He showed off his set-up for watching the NFL over the weekend and he’s also been showing us shots of him playing Madden 21 inside his room.

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Mike D’Antoni wishes coaches at NBA bubble could have family guests

“I’d be willing to sacrifice the journalists [at the bubble] for my family,” D’Antoni joked. “We should talk to them about that.”

Earlier Friday, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was critical of the NBA’s guest policy at the Disney World “bubble,” which now allows players (but not coaches) to have a certain number of guests. The guests were allowed to enter following the first round of the playoffs.

Malone also said that the league’s current policy even allows referees to have a guest, though the NBA later disputed that in a statement. “We are hoping to add additional family members for other participants beginning with the Conference Finals,” an NBA spokesperson said.

“We are mindful of the incredible hardship these restrictions impose and wish it were not necessary for the health and safety of everyone involved,” the league’s Friday statement concludes.

In his pregame interview, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said he agreed with Malone. However, the 69-year-old also conceded that he knew it was a tough decision for the league, which wants to keep the campus headcount as low as possible to reduce COVID-19 risks.

At one point, D’Antoni even joked that the league could reduce the amount of on-site journalists as a means of providing more space for guests.

When asked if D’Antoni agreed with Malone, he said:

Yeah. If you’re introducing new elements into the bubble, then players, coaches, trainers… everybody should have the same opportunity. It’s hard to distinguish between the players’ families and the coaches. … I do understand the other side, and what the NBA is doing. Tough situation. Some people are more impacted more than others, obviously. It’s just tough all the way around. But I do feel that what Mike says is correct.

It’s tough to make that decision. They want to keep it as tight as possible. … Now I’d be willing to sacrifice the journalists for my family [laughs]. We should talk to them about that. We could take two or three of you guys… just kidding.

Those are hard decisions, and I understand both sides, and I understand where Mike’s coming from.

Game 1 of the second-round playoff series between D’Antoni’s Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers is set for 8:00 p.m. Central on Friday night, with a national broadcast on ESPN. It remains to be seen which players on the two teams will have guests present at the arena.

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Rockets-Thunder Game 7 gives NBA major bump in TV ratings

It was the most-watched opening round NBA playoff game on cable in two years, and the top-rated first-round game on ESPN in three years.

According to Sports Media Watch, Wednesday night’s Game 7 between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder was the most-watched opening round NBA playoff game on cable television in two years. It was also the top-rated first-round game on ESPN in three years.

The Rockets-Thunder Game 7 was the largest audience for any NBA game on any network since January 31, 2020. That January game was the first for the Los Angeles Lakers following the death of Kobe Bryant, and it was lifted by an extensive pregame ceremony in front of home fans.

Here’s how Sports Media Watch summarizes the Game 7 data:

Wednesday’s Thunder-Rockets Game 7 averaged 4.11 million viewers on ESPN, marking the most-watched opening round playoff game on cable in two years (2018 Cavaliers-Pacers Game 4: 6.07M) and the most-watched on ESPN in three (2017 Warriors-Blazers Game 3: 4.38M).

Houston’s narrow win delivered the largest NBA audience since Blazers-Lakers on January 31 (4.41M), comfortably topping the previous mark of 3.83 million for Lakers-Blazers Game 3 on ABC August 22.

Viewership increased 17% over the comparable window of last year’s playoffs, Game 2 of a Blazers-Nuggets second round series on TNT (3.51M). Last year’s game aired exclusively on TNT, while this year’s game co-existed with RSN coverage in both Houston and Oklahoma City.

The Thunder-Rockets figure was up by 18% relative to Game 7 of the 2019 first-round series between Denver and San Antonio. That was the only seventh game in the opening round a season ago.

Per Sports Media Watch, Rockets-Thunder Game 7 easily won the night among key young adult demographics (for advertisers). In all, five of the NBA’s 11 most-watched games since the 2019-20 season’s July 30 restart have come since the three-day suspension of play last week, which occurred due to racial justice protests by players.

Some politicians had suggested that the movement was causing some viewers to tune out. While the true ratings picture won’t become clear until later in the playoffs, the Thunder-Rockets number is certainly an encouraging interim signal to the NBA that its large audience is still there.

The lofty Rockets-Thunder figure of 4.11 million viewers on ESPN did outdraw the 3.39 million average for Game 7 between Denver and Utah on the previous night (on ABC). That could suggest that some of the ratings bump was attributable to the higher star power of the Houston vs. Oklahoma City series, which featured three future Hall of Famers in James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul.

It could also bode well for the impending second-round series between the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, which begins Friday night. That battle features teams from two of the four largest U.S. cities, as well as four All-Stars and headliners in Harden, Westbrook, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. All that should make for a very captive audience.

Beyond the players, Oklahoma City is actually the NBA’s second-smallest market, which could make room for an even larger ratings bump once they’re swapped out in favor of Los Angeles.

In another national ESPN broadcast, Game 1 of the Rockets-Lakers series at the NBA “bubble” tips off at 8:00 p.m. Central on Friday.

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NBA releases uniform schedule for Rockets vs. Lakers playoff series

Most games of the second-round series will feature the Rockets in black “Statement” jerseys and the Lakers in their gold “Icon” set.

The NBA updated its LockerVision website Thursday with the specific uniforms to be worn by the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers during their second-round playoff series, which begins on Friday.

For the most part, there won’t be a lot of game-to-game variance. With the exception of Sunday’s Game 2, LeBron James and the Lakers will wear their gold Nike “Icon” jerseys in each game of the best-of-seven series. On Sunday, they will wear the team’s black “Classic” jerseys.

Meanwhile, James Harden and the Rockets will wear their black “Statement” uniforms in five of the seven games, starting with Friday’s Game 1. Houston went 3-1 in its Statement jerseys in the first round, including the Game 7 clincher over Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

The exceptions for the Rockets will be Sunday’s Game 2 and next Thursday’s Game 4, when they will wear their red Icon jersey set. The Rockets were 1-1 in the first round while donning the Icon uniforms.

Game 1 between the Rockets and Lakers is set for 8:00 p.m. Central on Friday, with a national broadcast on ESPN. The Lakers will be the “home” team in Game 1, Game 2, and Game 5 and Game 7 (if necessary) — though with all games played at the Disney World “bubble” in Florida, home-court advantage shouldn’t mean what it usually does.

Games will be played every other day until one team wins four games, with the winner advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

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