Deep Dive: All you need to know about the NBA ‘Bubble’

When the lockdown was imposed on 11 March, there were speculations that the ongoing season might get called off. But as soon as the lockdown was lifted, preparations were on-board to restart the league without any delay. Guidelines were made to ensure there’s no stone left unturned for the medical safety of players and staff. And now when we are a fortnight away from the restart, here’s a look on how things have panned out.

After a lot of deliberation the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando was finalized to be the hotspot for the reboot. The idea was to create a ‘bubble’ safe from any chance of infection and the smooth conduct of the matches. The next hurdle was to come up with a schedule and the format. The think tank came up with a solution of inviting 22 teams to Orlando and having all of them play eight "seeding" games before starting the playoffs.

The next task was the documentation. The league issued a 113-page health and safety document to all teams. Here’s the gist of what it says.

The Six Phase Restart Policy

The NBA has divided the restart into 6 phases of which 3 are already underway.

Phase 1: June 12-22

The Players return to their home market and team facilities open for the individual workout but no group activity is allowed. The players are expected to quarantine at home except for going to the facility or other essential activities. Meanwhile, they need to complete the health questionnaire regularly.

Phase 2: June 23-30

The testing process begins. The restrictions imposed in Phase 1 are still in effect and educational sessions are arranged to make the players and staff aware about the pandemic.

Phase 3: July 1-10

The individual player workout is now mandatory, no group activity though. The testing continues, and players and staff need to follow quarantine rules. Also, now the teams are allowed to move to Orlondo by July 9. They need to follow the guidelines upon their arrival to the complex and players must self-isolate in their hotel rooms until they return two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart.

Phase 4: July 10-21

Group and Team activities are now allowed. As with the pre-Orlando guidelines, players and staff will continue to be regularly tested for COVID-19. They can socialize within their hotels although no player is allowed to share rooms.

Phase 5: July 22-29

Teams will begin playing scrimmages against opposing teams in Phase 5. Each team will play three scrimmages during this portion of the plan. Regular testing will continue and players and staff will be allowed to socialize.

Phase 6: July 30 onwards (The Restart)

All the guidelines of Phase 5 will follow and the regular season begins. If anyone wants to go out of the complex they’ll be required to undergo additional testing and quarantine period. In addition, basketballs will be disinfected regularly when the season resumes.

Here’s how the format is decided.

Here’s what the players say:

“Honestly, it feels strange” said Aaron Gordon, Orlando forward after the first round of practice.

“Just left the crib to head to the bubble,” LeBron James tweeted. “. . . felt like I’m headed to do a bid, man!”

“I’ve seen guys complaining about the food and everything,” Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. “We just got here. It wasn’t that bad. It was fine. It’s not what we’re used to eating at home, sure. But you also have to consider they’re making food for over 1,000 people. It’s not easy to do that.”

Looks like the players have no choice but to oblige to the current guidelines. As we move forward, we’re heading towards one of the most peculiar and strange displays of the most popular league in the world.