The NBA ‘Bubble’ Will Not Burst

The NBA Bubble Will Not Burst

Everyone can agree 2020 is not the year as hoped, but with the bad comes some good. Many people enjoy watching professional basketball, but those players have had to make important decisions in order to play. The NBA came up with an idea to still allow the players to play safely during this pandemic, but there’s a twist. Officials came up with the name the ‘Bubble’.

It’s almost as literal as it sounds. The ‘Bubble’ is a space where the professional basketball players who want to play can stay, but once you leave, there’s no coming back. This helps keep Covid-19 out or from affecting other people. The True Cost of Life in the N.B.A. Bubble by Mark Stein from New York Times states that the NBA ‘Bubble’ is held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida at Disney World. Nobody from the outside is allowed to go into the restricted area and you can leave at any time, but you cannot come back. This is rough for the players who have families and want to be with them. From the New York Times article, LeBron James says, “ I’ve had numerous nights and days of thinking about leaving the bubble.”

There are very strict rules in the ‘Bubble’ and if you don’t follow them you can be told to leave the environment. No one is allowed in another’s room and when everyone isn’t interviewing, playing, working, and any other jobs, they must stay in their rooms. “14-square-foot Casita… at the Coronado Springs Resort,” says Stein. Stein also explains that when everyone first arrived at the ‘Bubble’ three months ago they all had to “quarantine for seven days” to ensure no one brought the virus in. Overall the ‘Bubble’ has done its job.

To ensure the ‘Bubble’ still won’t pass the virus around, Tania Ganguli from L.A. Times explains how there is daily testing and it is open till midnight. This allows you to go at any time of the day if you are busy. 

Another way the NBA ‘Bubble’ ensures that whoever is in the ‘Bubble’ are the only ones who can go into the buildings. “Disney World Magic bands are used to gain entry,” Ganguli says. This helps control who has entry to all the different buildings. Ganguli actually explains how they have the bands to gain entry, daily tests like stated before, hand sanitizer, required masks, and a temperature taken at every door. 

The ones who don’t follow the rules are sent home. Jensen West, a Physical Education teacher at Vanden High School says, “as much as you set rules or be safe there are always those trying to push limits or think rules don’t apply to them.” 

High School sports are delayed right now which leaves athletes, coaches, families, and more devastated. West says, “ I know the NFL,  for example, has wristbands for their players that alert them when too close to others so, that seems to work for them.” Because of the worldwide pandemic, many high school athletes are very sad that they cannot play sports, so could this be a possible idea for high school sports? West explains that although the ‘bubble’ and the bracelets are all great ideas and could be modified for high school, the professional leagues paid millions of dollars to be able to play and high school doesn’t have that kind of money. How would high school sports be able to play right now? West suggested a possible idea. “I think start small is likely best. Baby steps… tennis, cross country. Non-contact sports or individual sports before team sports…” says West. In sports like these, one doesn’t touch another so that could be a possibility to start sports again. 

The NBA is a wealthy company that can afford the best of the best, but for now everyone must stick to professional sports and no high school sports.