Back in early June, when the NBA announced that it would resume its season in a bubble location at Disney World in Orlando, there was plenty of skepticism. Cases of COVID-19 had continued to spike across the country, particularly in the state of Florida, where they were reporting record numbers of new cases on an almost daily basis.
Many questioned whether the NBA could adequately ensure the safety of its players, not to mention the scores of other league personnel and essential workers that would be required for such a mammoth undertaking. Even a considerable segment of the players expressed their apprehensions over the course of various Zoom calls within the union.
But, of course, when it came right down to i, just about everyone fell in line, save for a small handful of players who decided, understandably, that it wasn’t worth the risk to their health and their family. To the league’s credit, the safety protocols inside the bubble in Orlando are thorough and complex, to say the least. The players are tested daily (and must quarantine and miss any team activities should they miss a test). Upon arrival, they each received a personal health app device that requires them to fill out a questionnaire each morning and monitors their temperature and oxygen levels.
Players are also required to observe social distancing rules and wear masks in all common areas, and just about everyone, save for Dwight Howard and a few other apparent accidental incidents, has adhered to these rules and have done a good job of policing themselves — with some continuous reminders of protocols and punishments from the league. The league, in part, took many of its cues from the other pro sports bubbles that restarted prior to the NBA, like the NWSL, NHL, MLS, WNBA, and TBT, which have likewise seen success once settled in the bubble — the MLS’ two major outbreaks occurred as teams arrived and the bubble was yet to be sealed, with nothing but negative tests since.
For the NBA, their record, so far, has been pretty much pristine. The league announced on Wednesday that, for the third consecutive week, there were no positive tests among the 343 players in Orlando. The only two positive tests the entire time they’ve been in the bubble occurred upon arrival in Orlando last month, but those two players never made it past quarantine and did not expose anyone else there to the virus.
There were also two very high-profile cases early on of players breaking quarantine protocols to receive food delivery, but the only semi-controversy since then had to do with just how long Lou Williams spent at an Atlanta area nightclub after attending the funeral of close relative. But both he and Zion Williamson, who likewise left the bubble for a family emergency, have since returned and passed quarantine without incident to rejoin their teams.
In the event of any future positive tests inside the bubble, there are strict guidelines in place that will require said player to go into isolation until they are fully recovered and cleared by medical personnel. Overall, the league deserves credit for its success thus far, and the players deserve credit for abiding by the guidelines set forth by the Players’ Association.
Still, the proof is in the pudding for how the bubble works. There were a number of positive tests when the league began testing players in home markets, leading to facilities shutting down, but those were kept away from the bubble until they cleared a number of negative tests. The other soccer and hoops bubbles have proven the same, that testing and isolation is the solution to keeping the virus out, despite likewise seeing positive tests before arrival.
All of it begs the question of the NFL and MLB, which has seen two teams have to halt play due to outbreaks on the Marlins and Cardinals, who attempt to play without a bubble. Given the spread of the virus in the United States, allowing players to come and go from facilities with interaction with the real world is, sadly, downright dangerous and it seems like just a matter of time before positive tests arrive.
We are in the early stages of the restart, and for everyone in Orlando, consistency in regard to following these safety protocols is the only thing that will ensure that everyone remains as safe and healthy as possible over the next few months. But so far it’s off to a good start, and combined with the NHL, WNBA, MLS, NWSL, and others, the bubble concept appears to have been the correct one.