By Chris Williams
After 96 days, 322 players, and zero positive COVID-19 cases, the inaugural season of the NBA bubble concluded on Oct. 11, with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their 17th NBA championship.
While the atmosphere of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex lacked the electrifying energy of a sold-out Staples Center, league officials can look back at the past three months and consider it a success. There were zero COVID-19-related game postponements, while the MLB and NFL have had dozens. So how did Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA do what other leagues could not?
Playing in a Bubble
While all major American sports leagues enacted restrictions and limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA was the only one to commit to finishing their season in a singular, isolated bubble.
NHL teams split their time between two cities. The MLB and NFL allow teams to travel. By limiting players and staff to one complex, the NBA was able to regularly conduct COVID-19 tests, while also ensuring that players were not exposed to potential outside carriers.
The league’s confidence in the bubble’s success eased concerns between players and coaches, and resulted in a successful end to the season.
Strict Enforcement of Protocol
From the first day in the bubble, all residents were aware of and agreed to the protocol that league officials had set. Its main points were simple: regular testing, no visitors until the second round of the playoffs, and no leaving the complex unless directed to do so.
The league enforced these rules strictly. Dallas Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis was forced to sit out a game after missing a mandatory coronavirus test. Houston Rockets guard Danuel House was expelled from the bubble entirely after he was caught bringing an unauthorized guest into his hotel room. The league made it clear that they would do everything in their power to avoid a collapse of their carefully crafted bubble.
Transparency was Key
A key essential that the NBA particularly excelled in was communication. Even before the bubble season began, players and fans alike were kept up to date as conversations regarding the future of the season developed, often through weekly press releases from the commissioner.
It is rare to see such a powerful organization with this much transparency, and it shows why Adam Silver continues to be one of the most popular commissioners in sports.
Amid an unprecedented pandemic and the subsequent suspension of sports across the country, sports fans found their days dull and repetitive. They needed something. Led by Commissioner Silver, NBPA President Chris Paul, and countless health workers, the NBA bubble gave sports fans just that: a reliable sports-watching experience that was safe, while still maintaining the excitement and passion that we had sorely missed.
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