The NBA is in discussions about starting another “bubble” in Chicago for the eight teams not invited to Orlando. The teams would be able to participate in training camps and exhibition games.
What We Know:
- The NBA is set to bring back its top 22 teams at the end of July for a reduced regular season and playoff tournament. The teams will stay and play at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida and follow strict rules to preserve social distancing and isolation. The Orlando bubble has brought up many questions regarding players’ health and safety and the civil unrest in the country. However, the question the NBA seems to be focused on is “What do we do with the other eight teams?”
- According to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, those eight teams could be subjected to a similar “bubble” in Chicago. The league proposed the idea to have training camps and exhibition games some time in September. The purpose seems to be recouping some of the lost revenue from the season.
- Players Association director Michele Roberts called for the Chicago bubble to have the same health protocols as the bubble in Orlando. The Orlando rules enforce strict social distancing guidelines and don’t allow for any family or visitors for at least seven weeks. Some team officials around the league are frustrated that the restrictions can’t be loosened for the Chicago bubble.
- Most teams want to get their players back on the floor. With the season being paused in March and the 2020-2021 season scheduled to start in December. That’s a 9 month hiatus for these eight teams. Detroit Pistons head coach said he took a poll of the other head coaches involved, and he said a majority would rather have their own training camps that go to a bubble.
Some teams asked for a two-week delay on approving the Chicago bubble. As more players test positive for the coronavirus, teams want to see how things go in Orlando before signing off on Chicago.
