In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA and sports world as a whole have been put in unique circumstances, circumstances which have not been seen since the Spanish Flu over 100 years ago.
Given these circumstances and where the NBA finds itself, unique alternatives for finishing its season have been presented. But with every passing proposal comes differing opinions. Two months ago everything changed, and two months from now we could see an NBA season played out like never before.
The NBA Season Reimagined
NBA Normalcy
Two months ago, the sports world was abuzz, and the NBA season was in full swing. The Los Angeles Lakers had just beaten the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. LeBron James continued to make a statement for his fifth MVP. Just a few days later the sports world was in shock. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, had infiltrated the NBA. A few moments before tip-off to the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder game, Rudy Gobert of Utah was the first player identified, and soon after his teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive.
And then the unthinkable happened. Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA season was suspended. “What we determined today will be, most likely, at least thirty days,” Silver remarked. Other commissioners such as Gary Bettman and Rob Manfred followed suit. Soon enough, the sports world was frozen, as not long after all sports and their seasons and events were suspended indefinitely. This is where sports and its fans stand today. Like the commissioners and the world for that matter, sports fans will simply have to wait.
Season Options
While the world waits, there has been much discussion on what options leagues have. For the NBA, many possibilities have been offered in the hopes of resuming play. Many of the suggestions offered follow a similar principle: re-locate only essential personnel to a neutral site. The “neutral sites” mentioned include the Bahamas, Las Vegas, and less so the Midwestern states where numbers of COVID-19 cases remain low.
The first site mentioned is the Bahamas, which has not yet reached double digits in COVID-19 cases. Due to the low number of cases and the fact that it is outside of the United States, this seems most feasible. However, the dilemma of the situation as previously mentioned involves NBA players and coaches being away from their families for an extended period.
Mixed Emotions
Opinions on families separating to save the season vary. Mark Cuban joined ESPN’s First Take to share his opinion. “As much as I’d miss my family…there’s a bigger picture here,” said Cuban. “There’s a whole country that’s looking for something to cheer for…to get excited about.”
Some, of course, are against an extended absence from their loved ones. Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on a recent episode of Get Up. “I’m totally against this idea. At this point in time I have a wife and four kids, and if I were still in the NBA…there’s no way that I would be leaving my family during this pandemic of this coronavirus. There’s no way.”
The importance of sport and how much it plays a part in people’s lives is especially recognized in times of crisis. Without sports they are without spirit. They can only hope during this period of hardship that the NBA and sports will be back to inspire them sooner rather than later.
Main Photo
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