NBA Announces New Protocols for Safety to Ensure Maximum Security for Players Participating in the Orlando Bubble

With the NBA season resuming in Orlando soon, the league had issued multiple rules and restrictions for the 22 teams. Now, the NBA has announced a new set of protocols. It addresses all the players who will be traveling to Orlando without their team.

ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported that according to a league memo, “If a player misses a scheduled coronavirus test in the two days prior to the team’s departure date — or has ‘extenuating circumstances’ that have been disclosed to the league — he must arrange his own travel to join his team as the league restarts its season. The player has the option of flying on a charter flight at the player’s expense, traveling by car, or flying commercial.”

NBA ensuring maximum safety through multiple protocols

This new rule will affect players who have tested positive within the last week. Multiple teams have shut down their practice facilities in the last few days after players tested positive for coronavirus. This includes the Nuggets, Kings, Heat, Nets, Clippers, and now, the Bucks too.

Landry Shamet of the Clippers and Derrick Jones Jr are two players who tested positive recently. They will now be forced to travel without their team. However, the latter will still be playing, as Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reported all 17 players from the Heat will be present at Orlando.

Andrews also reported that “If a player has not been getting tested regularly over the past several weeks, fulfilling the NBA’s requirements, he is required to have six consecutive negative test results upon arrival before participating.”

On Saturday, the NBA announced there will be scrimmages for six days prior to the tournament, starting July 22. Every team will play three games each before the actual games commence.

For the first time in months, the teams will be engaging in authorized five on five games. However, the NBA has made no announcements about telecasting the scrimmages.