© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA’s dream of resuming its season is in peril. After a league vote determined a process for return in which 22 teams would play through an abbreviated end to the regular season under the artificial shine of the Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida, the logistical reality is revealing itself to be defined by red flags.
Players are more than a fair bit wary. According to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, one agent said that roughly two-thirds of the NBA’s top-40 players would refuse to play under the proposed conditions, in which players would be subject to the proposed bubble and Disney employees, per NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh’s report on Thursday, would not.
According to Beck and Taylor Rooks, Kyrie Irving has been a leading force in raising these concerns.
There's growing concern re NBA's bubble plan. Players want more freedom of movement while in Orlando. One agent estimates that 2/3 of the top 40 would refuse to play under the proposed restrictions. https://t.co/IrM5MHPu5e
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 12, 2020
In addition to the logistical, practical issue of returning to play, players are worried, per Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, that returning to play amidst nation- and world-wide protests against racism would be “bad optics.”
Yahoo Sources: Significant number of players disappointed their voice wasn’t heard in decision to restart season, and others believe black players sequestered to entertain and ease league’s economic burden amid racial tension is bad optics. https://t.co/F4BiqWD6uQ pic.twitter.com/hhw8rGdLh8
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 12, 2020