The NBA has warned teams that protocol violations that lead to the spread of the coronavirus affecting rival teams and causing schedule derailments could result in “fines, suspensions, adjustments or loss of draft picks and game confiscations.” according to a memo obtained by ESPN.
For players who violate security protocols this season, the league cautions that the possibility of a quarantine during the season and reduced paychecks are looming as possibilities. While the memo does not describe the duration of the quarantines, it says that such players “may be subject to a proportional adjustment to pay for any games lost during the period in which the player is quarantined and tested due to their participation in such activities and / or conduct “.
These threats are major headquarters concerns as franchises work to understand the full severity of operating an NBA season amid a coronavirus pandemic that is killing thousands of people a day in the United States.
In a 158-page Health and Safety memo shared with teams on Saturday morning, teams were informed that the league can “conduct unannounced in-person inspections of team facilities” to find out if organizations are in compliance. COVID-19 security protocols.
As companies like Moderna and Pfizer search for a vaccine that can be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and distributed to the general public, the NBA outlined its approach to administering the vaccine. Once the FDA approves a vaccine and specialists working with the NBA and the players union believe it is safe and effective, the league and union will discuss whether their coaches, players and staff should receive the vaccine.
If the vaccine is not required for NBA players and personnel, it may be necessary to create additional health and safety restrictions for those who do not receive the vaccine. For example, people who don’t get the vaccine may need to wear masks or get tested more often than those who do.
Despite concerns surrounding the threat of infection as teams return to touring from game to game, the NBA allows players and staff to leave hotels for dinner under these circumstances: alfresco dining, dining in private rooms at NBA / NBPA approved restaurants or restaurants that meet league criteria. Players were hoping they weren’t confined to their rooms on road trips, and these measures serve as a kind of compromise. The NBA and the NBPA are working to compile a list of at least three approved restaurants in each market.
Without the protection of a bubble environment, the NBA is determined to curb the potential exposures that players and staff would traditionally have in a normal NBA season. At home, players and staff are prohibited from entering bars, lounges, or clubs, attending live entertainment or gaming venues, or visiting public gyms, spas, pool areas, or large indoor social gatherings that exceed 15 people, depending on the memo.
Infractions will include possible disciplinary action by teams or the league, including warnings, educational sessions, fines and suspensions.
Furthermore, teams could be punished for failing to comply and for failing to report any “potential or actual violation, and / or any discipline imposed by the team for such violation.” If teams are found to repeatedly violate protocols, they could be subject to “higher discipline.”
ESPN NBA reporters Malika Andrews, Baxter Holmes and Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.
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