Two months after the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th championship in six games against the Miami Heat, the NBA started a new season on Dec. 22. To combat the spread of COVID-19, the league established modifications to the normal formula.
“In the same way we prepared for our bubble, we’ve designed thorough health and safety protocols in consultation with public health and medical experts, the National Basketball Players Association and our teams that will allow us to return to our arenas,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a press release to news outlets.
Only 72 games will be played this season as opposed to the normal 82, in order to set the NBA back on schedule after a two-month hiatus.
The league also decided to leave the bubble and return back to home stadiums. As with most other sports, players will compete in empty stadiums. To provide viewers with a more authentic experience, crowd noises from the 2k game series will be dubbed over live broadcasts. These changes on top of the numerous health and safety regulations, should help the NBA function to its fullest ability.
“Many of the core principles that we relied on in Florida — daily testing, physical distancing, mask-wearing and frequent hand-washing — continue to guide our efforts and the health and safety of everyone remain our top priority,” said Silver.” Our season opens Tuesday night,, and we recognize the journey won’t be without obstacles. It will require extraordinary commitment from players, coaches and staff, but we want to get back to work – safely and responsibly.”
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