The NBA is proving that sports bubbles work
At first, it was jeered. Now, it’s praised. From the moment that the NBA postponed all basketball operations for the foreseeable future on March 11th, commissioner Adam Silver and other NBA executives brainstormed idea after idea to try to get back on track.
Ideas came and went but one stood out above the rest. It was then that the bubble was born. However, with states nationwide implementing strict COVID-19 guidelines such as mandatory face coverings, six feet space requirement between encounters, and regularly scheduled sanitation, it was quickly thought of not being able to work and was all but scratched as a result.
Now, flash forward four months later and the NBA is back giving us historical Luka Doncic and James Harden performances, sensational Devin Booker and De’Anthony Melton buzzer beaters, and insane 50-pointers from unheralded players like T.J. Warren like it had never left.
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Welcome to the NBA bubble!
Now, It wasn’t always at the point in which it is now thanks to some initial problems with what the bubble had to offer. At first, a few players were seen voicing their opinion on their social media accounts upset about their living arrangements for the next three to four months.
Most notably Rajon Rondo, who’s seen in an Instagram story post showing one of the best, “Motel 6’s,” everyone besides him has ever seen. Then, a few more players were seen posting on their social media accounts degrading the “Airplane-like food.” Other than that, there’s been an unmasked complaint on Dwight Howard and a viral visit to a gentleman’s club by Lou Williams.
Look, to all of that, I’ll just say that it could be worse. Just look at baseball which could be on the verge of a complete shutdown after two separate outbreaks of COVID-19 among teams.
HMMMM, I wonder what the difference is… The bubble! Bubble sports like the NBA and NHL have each recorded ZERO positive tests in each of their last two testing waves, so it’s clearly working.
Now, is it perfect? No, nothing is. But it’s pretty close to it. Just listen to CJ McCollum on one of the latest episodes of Pardon My Take where he’s heard describing the bubble and listing places he can get his hair cut, nails groomed, and obviously play ball with his professional athlete friends while staying in some nice hotels.
That sounds pretty great to me. And look, I know that they all would like to be in their own gyms, traveling to other cities, and doing normal stuff in between, but not many people in the world are doing that right now. They’re safe and doing what they love, so other sports better take notes. You’re up NFL, the bubble works!