» KINGS OWNER ON BAORD WITH PLAN
The NBA is pressing forward with plans to resume the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida despite pushback from some players and an alarming rise in coronavirus cases in the state.
New details were revealed Tuesday when The Athletic, ESPN and The Associated Press obtained copies of an internal document entitled “Life Inside the Bubble.” The packet lays out a sixphase plan to play out the season over the next four months with provisions for meals, transportation, coronavirus testing, quarantine guidelines and more.
Florida hit a new daily record for the fourth time in six days with 2,783 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday 260 workers at Orlando International Airport tested positive for COVID-19 after nearly 500 employees were tested.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive addressed safety concerns Monday on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” saying he is confident the league will resume play July 30 at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., located 20 miles from downtown Orlando.
“I was part of the subcommittee that shaped how we would come back, and I believe that the NBA has really thought this through well,” Ranadive said. “They’ve consulted world experts. ... Statistically, it’s actually going to be safer to be in a bubble in Orlando than to stay home and go to a grocery store, so this has been very well thought through and I feel very confident that we will be in Orlando in a few weeks.”
Bubble trouble — Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has led a group of players voicing various concerns about restarting the season in a bubblelike environment amid a global pandemic and social unrest over the death of George Floyd, who died last month in the custody of Minneapolis police.
Players must notify their respective teams by June 24 whether they plan to participate. Those who choose not to play will lose a prorated portion of their salary for each game missed, but otherwise they will not be fined or disciplined for their decision.
Irving has reportedly led discussions with nearly 100 players regarding issues related to the NBA’s return, including concerns about health and safety, isolation and America’s social justice movement. According to the New York Daily News, Irving even suggested in a group chat with teammates the Nets should bypass the bubble and start a league of their own. A number of Nets players took to social media to say that wasn’t true. Theo Pinson called it “FAKE news!”
Still, Irving’s dissent over the past several days drew a sharp response from former NBA player Kendrick Perkins on Wednesday’s episode of “Get Up!” on ESPN.
“If you take Kyrie Irving’s brain and put it in a bird right now, guess what that bird is going to do?” Perkins said. “It’s going to fly backwards, because Kyrie, right now, he’s confused. He’s showing his lack of leadership.”
Life inside the bubble — The 113-page manual obtained by the media Tuesday outlines life inside the bubble, right down to a game-day schedule that dictates each player’s movements from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Twenty-two of the NBA’s 30 teams will arrive at Disney World July 7-9, including the Kings. Teams that reach the NBA Finals will be confined to Disney grounds for as long as 98 days. Game 7 of the finals will be played Oct. 12, if necessary.
Top-seeded teams will stay at the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This includes the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and Miami Heat.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic will stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards will stay at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
Hotel amenities will include a players-only lounge featuring televisions, video games, barbers, manicurists and pedicurists; a 24hour VIP concierge; and daily entertainment, including ping pong, lawn games and movie screenings.
If a player tests positive — The manual explains anyone who tests positive for the coronavirus will be placed in isolation housing away from the team hotel, where they will undergo additional testing to confirm the diagnosis.
Individuals who contract the virus will remain in isolation until they test negative twice in a span of more than 24 hours. A player would then have to wait two weeks to undergo a cardiac screening before he would be allowed to return to competition.
Players will undergo extensive coronavirus testing before their teams depart for Florida. All players are expected to return to their team’s market by Monday to participate in mandatory testing beginning Tuesday. Testing will consist of a shallow nasal swab, an oral swab and a blood draw. Long nasal swabs will not be used.
“Excused” and “protected” players who do not participate in the restart will not have their salaries reduced. An “excused” player must have a panel of three medical experts who determine he has a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. A “protected” player is a player whose team believes he is at a higher risk for severe illness due to COVID-19.