More on Orlando Bubble
Jared Weiss: Kemba Walker on supporting social justice movement in Orlando: "We have an opportunity to get together, think about some plans and execute them together...We got a chance to do something big and use our platform to the best of our abilities."
Tim MacMahon: NBA coaches association president Rick Carlisle: “We’ve been assured by the league that no one will be red-flagged by the league from going to Orlando based on age alone.” All coaches and staffers will go through a medical screening process.
Chris Grenham: Kemba Walker says he isn't concerned about going into Florida amid rising COVID-19 cases. "I think we'll be pretty safe and pretty secluded from everyone."
Malika Andrews: Giannis Antetokounmpo says he is concerned about his health while playing in Orlando — but notes his mother may be the most concerned. (He said he trusts the league’s protocols).
Chris Grenham: Kemba Walker says he had no hesitation about heading to Orlando.
Brian Robb: Kemba on hesitations on playing in bubble: "Not at all. My asthma was when I was really young. I've been staying safe in quarantine."
Eric Nehm: Giannis Antetokounmpo says the re-start is sort of like a FIBA tournament. He said he had a lot of questions as the league started talking about the re-start. "The most important thing I asked is: Is it going to be safe?"
Chris Grenham: Brad Stevens on identifying Boston's 35-person travel party: "We're not able to take everybody, and that stinks. ... We've tried to identify how we can be the most efficient we can be."
Kyle Neubeck: Brown says vast majority of recent conversations with his team have been about racial injustice. “The truth of the matter is my last two zoom calls with my team were 1 percent basketball.” Says they have also talked a lot about a simple question: “Do you really want to be there?”
Brandon Rahbar: Shai on names on the back of jerseys: “I haven’t put much thought into it yet. I don’t think the other guys on the team have either. We’ll tackle that when we get to Orlando.” Says he likes the idea because it gives players the chance to use their platform.
Tim MacMahon: What’s the latest that Mike D’Antoni has heard from the league regarding him being allowed to coach from the Rockets bench in Orlando? “Crickets, which is a good thing,” D’Antoni said, reiterating that he fully intends to coach as usual.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo says his biggest concern about returning is the potential for another injury. He believes he’s susceptible to injury more than anyone. "It’s not about now, it’s about longevity."
Alex Schiffer: On a Zoom call with reporters, Nets GM Sean Marks doesn't expect any more of his players sitting out of the bubble.
Nets Daily: Marks on Zoom call with media: “Not sure how much opportunity there will be for interaction among teams other than on game days.”
Brian Lewis: Marks on the #Nets going to Brooklyn before the restart: "We took a poll and that included players, doctors, performance team & opted to go to Brooklyn rather than head to Orlando early...Hindsight we can all say maybe things wouldve been different if we’d gone to Orlando early”
Alykhan Bijani: Coach D'Antoni says he "expects everyone to be there" in Orlando. #Rockets
In a conference call on Tuesday, Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said that Howard has not yet informed the team on if he will play or sit when the NBA resumes its season July 30 in Orlando. Melissa Rios, the mother of Howard’s 6-year-old son David, died on March 27 near her home in Calabasas, California, because of a seizure after fighting epilepsy. Amid protests the past month, begun after George Floyd died while in police custody in Minneapolis, Howard has said publicly he may sit out the season to help ongoing efforts to address racial inequality. “We are going to continue to work through those extenuating circumstances with Dwight, support him, support his 6-year-old son and hope for the best that he would be a part of our roster in Orlando,” Pelinka said. “But that will be a continued process.”
Taylor Rooks: I talked to Austin Rivers about whether or not this NBA Champion will have an asterisk next to their name. This was his response: "I think whoever wins should have a asterisk next it. But only for it being one of the toughest championships ever won. Your asking guys to take 3-4 months off, then come back and find chemistry etc. then play during a pandemic, while players are fighting for the BLM. There's a lot going on right now. Crazy times and a lot of worry. And during these times players are leaving there families to go live in a locked down bubble. So for all these reasons and more. I think it will be one of the more tougher championships ever won. Only season ever like this. EVER. "
Fultz, who is averaging 12.1 points and 5.2 assists this season, did not have access to the Magic’s practice facility, so he could not treat his various shoulder and knee ailments that had bothered him in recent seasons. Even though Fultz already plays in Orlando, where the NBA will host its resumed season, the Magic do not have any geographical advantage. “At first, I thought we were going to be able to stay at home so I was a little excited. But then I realized we were going to have stay in the bubble, too,” Fultz said. “I understand the reasons why. It’s something I’m consciously thinking about. But I think about other teams that have to fly in their state and where they are playing at to come to Orlando. It is something that none of us have been used to or ready for. I’ve been thinking about it like it’ll be an AAU tournament.”
Shams Charania: Blazers star @Dame_Lillard sits down on @Stadium: Risks/rewards of NBA restart, life inside the Orlando campus, and a July birthday challenge ("I’m not trying to go there and waste a month and a half and go home. I’m going to stay and extend my stay").
In a recent podcast, ESPN sportswriter and commentator Brian Windhorst spoke on the cost of building and maintaining a self-contained “bubble” within Walt Disney World for the resumed 2019-20 season: “This is something I don’t think everybody understands. The Orlando ‘bubble’ is costing the NBA more than $150 million. More than 1.5 million dollars a day to put on. Not to mention all the lost revenue they have from not being able to sell tickets…”
Harrison Wind: Source: The Nuggets' familiarity with Tyler Cook was a significant factor in Denver bringing him back on a 2-way contract, which just became official. The Nuggets want to take players they trust into the Disney bubble, and they know Cook well. He spent training camp with Denver.
Justin Holiday had been "on the fence" about returning to play for the Indiana Pacers, but he made his intentions clear early Tuesday evening by declaring himself in for the restart in Orlando next month. Holiday wrote an article explaining his decision on The Players' Tribune.
"Working to achieve financial security is not something to be ashamed of," Holiday wrote. "And as we head back to the court to resume the season, many players will be out there for the same reason I am — for our futures. But I also realize that there’s something just as critical at stake. More than ever, there is a dire need now to elevate my Black brothers and sisters, to use my platform to empower and elevate our people."
Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard knows there are risks involved, but are they worth it? "I don't think I'm ever gonna be 100% comfortable, because I understand there's no way that this can be kept 100% safe," Lillard told Shams Charania of The Athletic. "That means there's risk involved that involves my health, so, obviously, that's what makes me uncomfortable about it. Like I've said before, it's a risk that I'm willing to take."
Damian Lillard: “My motivation is to get in the playoffs. For one, we want to play for a chance at a championship. I think everybody's coming back with some rust on 'em. Some teams gonna have guys that choose not to play. Some guys gonna be disinterested, wanting to go about their summer. Some guys gonna be out of shape...It's gonna be a lot of factors that give a lot of teams a chance to actually come in here and win it. I think that's part of my motivation, is knowing there is a legit chance... We got our starting power forward and center back. We're a healthier team. That's motivation.”
Adam Silver explained in a TIME100 interview with Sean Gregory, bad language is a real concern as the NBA resumes its season at Disney. "I think often players, they understand when they're on the floor, they're saying certain things to each other because it's so loud in the arena, they know a lot of it is not being picked up. They may have to adapt their language a little bit knowing what they say will likely be picked up by microphones and in all seriousness, we may need to put a little bit of a delay."
When play resumes a month from now at Walt Disney World, NBA players will have the option of wearing an Oura Ring. The rings track heart and respiratory rate, as well as temperature and sleep patterns. The hope is that they can be an additional line of defense against the spread of COVID-19.
Axios spoke with Oura CEO Harpreet Singh Rai to learn more about the product and why the NBA sought them out as a partner. How does this technology work? "Put simply, we help people understand and improve their health by focusing on better sleep. Consumers are given three scores: sleep, activity and readiness. And it's that readiness score that's really meant to tell users how they're feeling. The most important data we collect is temperature, which we can capture on the finger, but you don't see it on the wrist. That's one of the key reasons why the NBA isn't partnering with, say, Apple or Whoop."
How will you handle privacy concerns? Harpreet Singh Rai: "We're working with the NBA, NBPA, Excel Sports and CAA to make sure everyone feels comfortable. Think about it — we're tracking sleep, so a coach could ostensibly see that a player only got two hours of sleep the night before a game and decide not to start him. To ensure that doesn't happen, most of the data isn't being shared. The league and union only see something called a Risk Score, which combines heart rate, heart rate variability, temperature and respiratory rate. If the Risk Score is high enough, a team doctor is alerted and can test the player.”
Fournier told AFP in an interview that while the resurgence of the disease was a cause for concern, it had not affected preparations for the restart. "The resurgence is worrying, but it doesn't actually change habits," the 27-year-old France international said. "If anything, seeing more and more cases makes you want to be even more careful."
Fournier believes the NBA's safety protocols, which also include regular testing, should offer enough protection. "For the NBA to take such a risk by resuming the season, the measures will be maximum," Fournier said. "They will make our lives easier so that we do not have to ask questions and make us feel safe every day." Fournier is also reassured by NBA pledges to subject Disney World staff to additional testing. "That's good," he said. "Honestly at first, the measures planned for them were nonsense."
Fournier also has sympathy with players who have raised concerns that the league's restart could draw attention away from the nationwide protest movement against racism and police brutality following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd during his arrest by police in Minneapolis on May 25. "I understand those who don't feel like playing because it could divert attention from this issue," Fournier said. "But I believe we should use the restart of the season as an opportunity to be heard. "The whole world is going to watch us. I think the majority of players will come and we will all use this platform, the NBA, to get a big message out. It could be remarkable."
It appears that former Missouri basketball standout Jontay Porter will be joining the Memphis Grizzlies in Orlando as NBA teams prepare for the restart of the season, a league source confirmed.
After Porter signed, ESPN reported that he was expected to be ready for training camp for the 2020-21 season, which ordinarily would open in late September or early October this year. It remains to be seen whether Porter will be healthy enough to play in Orlando.
Marv Albert, arguably the greatest NBA play-by-player of all-time, will not be part of TNT’s on-site coverage when the NBA resumes its season in July at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., The Post has learned. Albert, 79, has been the longtime lead voice for Turner, but will not be a part of the coverage with the NBA planning to have its national announcers on site in the league’s bubble.
The National Basketball Players Association has been in conversations with the league about ways to remember victims of police violence by placing the name of a victim on a player’s jersey to help keep the focus on the Black Lives Matter movement, league sources told Yahoo Sports. But it is an extremely complex topic, and the union wants to exercise sensitivity in trying to push the movement forward.
Sources said there are a few concerns within the union about the plan, particularly respecting the family’s right to pick the player they would want honoring the name, and with there being so many victims of police violence, there was genuine concern about adding unnecessary pain to families if their loved ones were omitted.
Melissa Rohlin: Rob Pelinka said the goal of the restart is: "Can we create an environment there that is safer than an environment just in the real world." He added that the spikes in Florida are "daunting." "But the whole purpose of creating this environment is not have the virus be there."
Harrison Faigen: Rob Pelinka on the central question facing the restart. "Can we create an environment there that is safer than the real world?" He says that he has "a high level of confidence" in the plans from the NBA. He says they'll also continually gauge how comfortable their players are.
It's getting closer to the NBA restart in Orlando, but one member of the Indiana Pacers hasn't fully committed to joining the squad, according to Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard. Out of respect for the player, Pritchard wouldn't disclose his name, but he did say it's "complete no-judgment if he doesn't want to do it."
"We're giving him all the information, we're updating him and then it's gotta be his decision because once you make the decision, you have to jump in both feet," Pritchard said. "You can't be straddling. You either have to be in or you have to be out. Again, no judgments on either way."
Tim Reynolds: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is doing a Time 100 talk today and said again that if conditions in the bubble get bad, the NBA will stop. "If cases are isolated, that's one thing. .. But if we had a lot of cases, we're going to stop." He also says he won't be there the whole time.
Adrian Wojnarowski: The Nets practice facility re-opened today after being closed for several days, sources said. Nets had recent positive coronavirus tests with DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Jim Eichenhofer: David Griffin said #Pelicans had three players test positive for COVID-19 on the first day of testing, but none since then. Players who tested positive are in self-isolation and test daily. Once they have two favorable tests, they can return to participation
Will Guillory: David Griffin: "We have no reason to believe that anyone will not go (to Orlando)"
Oleh Kosel: David Griffin on how Zion Williamson has looked asides his physical fitness: "He is handling the ball really well and the shooting looks great."
Oleh Kosel: David Griffin on players going to Orlando: "Jrue and Lauren view this as an opportunity for Jrue {Holiday}." Sounds like Jrue is a go for the NBA restart.
J. Michael Falgoust: Pritchard says #Pacers still have one player who is "on the fence" about going to Orlando. "This is a very personal decision. I don't want to be the kind of leader who says, 'You have to do it.'
Scott Agness: Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said one player remains on the fence about joining the team at Disney. He says they won't apply any pressure. “It’s a personal decision. … No judgement if he doesn’t want to do it.” Deadline to decide is Wednesday.
Mark Medina: David Griffin, a cancer survivor, will be in Orlando for the resume season. Griffin: "I’m not at all in a high risk area. I’m not going to ask my players do anything I wouldn’t do."
Adrian Wojnarowski: After positive tests for the coronavirus within the traveling party headed to Orlando, the Denver Nuggets have closed team's practice facility for several days, sources tell ESPN. Facility was locked to players and staff starting Saturday, and could open again later this week.
Nick Kosmider: The Nuggets and the rest of the NBA were set to begin mandatory individual workouts Wednesday. Obviously appears their facility won’t be open then. So we are already seeing the virus interrupt the NBA’s carefully constructed restart plans.
There were some concerns that coaches over the age of 65 (Gentry is 65) may be forced to sit away from their teams during games or not go to the bubble at all over concerns from the coronavirus. Do you plan on coaching the team in Orlando, and has the league told you if you’ll even be allowed to go? Alvin Gentry: No one has told me that I’m not (allowed to coach the team in Orlando). I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting back and watching the guys play and enjoying it. Hopefully, we can continue the run that we made before the shutdown. But I plan on coaching without any restrictions. We’ll see if the league comes up with a different plan.
Disney spokesperson Andrea Finger declined to comment, but she passed along a statement that Dr. Pamela Hymel, Disney Parks’ Chief Medical Officer posted June 18 on the company's website. Hymel outlined the various protocols Disney will take, including temperature checks for guests, increased cleaning and disinfecting, social distancing, required face coverings and options for contact-less payments. Hymel added, "as we prepare for the reopening of our destinations, this is a responsibility we take very seriously." "I support people’s rights to express that point of view. We have members that have the opposite point of view and everywhere in between,” said Jeremy Haicken, president of UNITE HERE Local 737, the union which represents workers in Walt Disney World Food & Beverage and Housekeeping. "The bigger question is Florida has a completely broken unemployment system where workers are faced with this choice to starve or go back to work in a dangerous environment. About 30% of our members have not received a penny in unemployment in ten weeks. It is absolutely criminal that workers are being forced to choose between starving and going back to work in this environment."
