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Happy Thursday, team. The best part of Thursday is that it’s almost Friday, we can do this.
In case you missed it, the NBA released in greater detail their plan for restarting the league in Orlando. Let’s take a look at the highlights of what was reported, almost exclusively by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
NBA players have been notified that any player who chooses not to play in resumed 2019-20 season must notify his team by June 24, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Compensation would be reduced by 1/92.6 for each game missed.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
Sources: NBA teams Disney hotels based on seeding:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
-Grand Destino: Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz, Heat
-Grand Floridian: Thunder, 76ers, Rockets, Pacers, Mavericks, Nets, Grizzlies, Magic
-Yacht Club: Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Spurs, Suns, Wizards
Sources: NBA teams have been informed of required positions for 35-person traveling party: athletic trainer; strength/conditioning coach; equipment manager; team security official.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
Each team can include a player’s private personal trainer, massage therapist, or security.
In NBA's ORL campus:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
- Hotel amenities: players-only lounge (NBA 2K, TVs, gaming), pool/trails, barbers, manicurists, pedicurists
- 24-hour VIP concierge
- Daily entertainment: Movie screenings, DJ sets, video games, ping pong, pool, lawn games
- Players can attend other games
Failure to comply with protocols subjects a player to potential discipline such as warning,
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2020
fine, suspension, and/or removal from the campus. https://t.co/Z36fdkOC7r
Per me and @sam_amick: The NBA will create an anonymous hotline to report potential violations of protocols in Orlando.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2020
Truly elite work by Shams yesterday. It’s hard to imagine he’ll ever have a better day in the scoops business.
On a serious note, the first thing that really sticks out to me is how little the NBA is really trying to make this “bubble” environment a true bubble. I totally understand that the players need entertainment, but the league is headed into a covid-19 hotbed and is bringing far more people than necessary. I’d imagine most of that is to incentivize the players to want to come, but still, there’s going to be a lot of extra bodies that the league probably could’ve done without.
It’s good to know the league isn’t really punishing players for deciding to stay home, as well as doing their best to make sure players follow protocol. We’ll get into the hotels a little bit more shortly, but it’s also a really good idea to separate teams by seeding. This way, the teams most likely to leave the “bubble” early will leave their hotels while the teams staying longer will have mostly only been exposed to the same people the whole time they’re in Orlando.
On a more facetious note, it’s going to be hilarious to see what kind of content we get out of all of this. The jokes surrounding the anonymous hotline over the past few days have been phenomenal. I’m very much here for competitors snitching on each other in order to gain a competitive advantage.
Can you imagine what’ll happen if a key player on a contender gets sent home for breaking protocol? All hell would break loose.
It’s going to be suuuuper entertaining to see what certain players look like in this environment. These guys aren’t going to be able to really party, and while in theory that should help their play on the floor, some guys just need that vice of theirs to loosen up a bit. Looking at you, James Harden.
As far as the hotels go, we NEED some hotel trash talk. Can you imagine being a Yacht Club team? Couldn’t be my team.
I’m excited to see this all play out, assuming the players do decide to play.