NBA Bubble and BLM within Organization
A Valiant effort of keeping the NBA alive during Covid-19.
2020 has affected many people in a catastrophic way. As a result of COVID-19, the world of sports needed to make drastic changes in order to play professional sports in the near future.
On March 11 2020, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus, so the NBA quickly suspended the season until they could find a solution. After a three and a half month hiatus, commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA found the desired solution. It was not a perfect plan by any means. The NBA teams played eight regular season games and then started the Playoffs. Unfortunately, the players and staff of each team are unable to see their families in order for the Bubble to succeed.
During the bubble season, there were very different and interesting changes made. The most obvious change made is the virtual fans. Fans all around the world have the ability to email an NBA team and they might get access to a possible seat attending the game… virtually! It might seem very strange but there is still a basketball atmosphere with fans. The vans can boo or cheer at any point in the game and players must play through the noise. Though it freaks out a lot of different people, it’s very hard to have fun sports games without having some sort of fans.
Micheal Contreas ‘22 stated, “The virtual fans are a little strange but definitely interesting. I’m very happy to see the NBA accommodating their fans of their league.”
The second strange change is seeing coaches, athletic trainers, and important people within the organization wearing masks on the sideline. Though there are players playing hard and gritty basketball the world is still under lockdown and masks are still a necessity. If players are not on the court, masks need to be worn just to be cautious.
The final major change is where the Bubble is located. The NBA Bubble is taking place at the Walt Disney World Resort. This has been a place where the players have been able to quarantine together. The Bubble has been a success with no coronavirus cases along with NBA players returning to elite basketball.
During the NBA playoffs, a week hiatus was taken by the players as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement. Players were insisting and fighting for people to not just say ”black lives matter” but more importantly, take action. Though it was only a one week hiatus, the players decided to stop playing and then started playing again when they saw fit.
Tommy Faber ‘22 thinks that, “It was very empowering to see the players take action and show their true feelings. It was extremely important and necessary for the NBA to take a break for the BLM movement.”
Since the Bubble, almost every player has a message on their jersey surrounding Black Lives Matter. The Bubble has definitely been a once in a lifetime experience for players, fans, coaches, and people within the NBA. The NBA has found a way to make watching this new form of basketball entertaining and fun for fans and players around the league.
Sidebar: The Finals are set! The Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Miami Heat in a thrilling series. The Miami come into the series as the underdogs due to their lack of superstardom, but they love this label. The leader of the Heat, Jimmy Butler said, “We May have a chip on our shoulder, but I don’t think that we’re the underdog.” Their opponent, the Lakers, have two top ten players in the NBA. Their best player, LeBron James has been in this position before. Though it is certainly a different atmosphere, James understands the pressure due to his nine NBA finals appearances. The Miami Heat shoot the ball better than the Lakers, have more chemistry than the Lakers, and have a better coaching staff. With that being said, the Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James. A person that is battling to be known as the greatest basketball player of all time. LeBron James is a perennial star in the NBA and will refuse a loss. I think the Lakers will be the Miami Heat in seven games.