Rick Bowmer / Associated Press
While the MLB and NFL made a public fight with their players over security concerns, the NBA’s Orlando bubble largely opened without incident, both in terms of the number of COVID-19 cases and the relative lack of complaints from players.
As players settle in the bubble, players across the league are starting to express optimism about the resumption of the season.
“What the league is working to kick off is just epic,” an ESPN executive in Malika Andrews said. “I feel really good about how things are going so far.”
The NBA “bubble” is undoubtedly the most complete and ambitious of a major sports league’s plan to resume play amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL and MLB will essentially allow players to live their normal lives, leading seasons that include air travel and hotel stays. The NHL is holding its playoffs with two similar but host cities level of services given to hockey players pales in comparison to what is offered by the NBA.
The complaints on the bubble have been relatively small (e.g. mediocre food) and have slowed since the players left the requested quarantine phase. Many players have turned life into bubbles into a content opportunity, jumping on Instagram, brewing competitions or streaming video games.
We will have to see how the bubble scenario holds up when the games start and when the novelty of the bubble starts to fade. However, the NBA deserves some level of credit for putting together a plan that has apparently satisfied players in the midst of a pandemic.
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