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  • 16 NBA Players Have Coronavirus

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    The concern regarding the NBA's restart amidst Florida's spike in cases is slowly becoming justified. As of a couple days ago, an estimated 5% of the leagues players – 16 out of 302 – have tested positive for coronavirus. These players include Nikola Jokic, Malcolm Brogdon, Jabari Parker, and Buddy Hield. Most of these players have reportedly entered self-isolation.

    Seeing how a few of these players are pretty well-known, these diagnoses will be a significant blow to the season overall and a huge concern for all parties involved. Still, the NBA is steadfast in their plans to restart. Hopefully the full extent of COVID-19 cases among the players will not exceed this point much further.

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  • NBA Smart Rings and Growing COVID-19 Concerns

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    Although the NBA has officially announced its plans to restart at Disney World, there is still widespread concern regarding the ongoing pandemic, especially since Florida is experiencing a huge spike in cases. Recently, the league has unveiled a series of new safety measures for its athletes. Among these, they will have the option of wearing a smart-tech ring, produced by Oura Health, which will provide early detection of COVID-19 symptoms when the season restarts. The rings were the focus of a study where the company found they could help track symptoms up to three days before they distinctively manifest. Should the players elect to wear them, these rings would be greatly beneficial for tracking and preventing the spread of coronavirus.

    Nevertheless, with Florida setting records for single-day cases in seven of the past ten days, many, including players, executives, and members of the league office itself, are growing increasingly restless. Still, commissioner Adam Silver has expressed his confidence in the NBA's precautions, particularly their bubble concept, where all of their teams will assemble in one or two locations for he duration of the season without any attendance from the fans. Despite their resolve to go on, the NBA does recognize the seriousness of the situation.

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  • Not Everyone is Supportive of NBA's Restart Plan

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    Last week, the NBA announced plans to restart the season at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The league's board of governors and the players' union both approved a 22-team format, including all teams with a playoff spot and any club within six games of a berth, where eight games would be played to wrap up the regular season along with a possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed and post-season. The season is set to resume on July 30.

    However, there are several prominent players who are still reluctant to accept this new plan. This Friday, Kyrie Irving led a call with over 80 NBA and WNBA players, during which they discussed this very topic. According to sources, Donovan Mitchell, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard among others talked about potentially sitting out this restart. In general, they did not fully support the season's resume due to nationwide unrest from social injustice and racism, not to mention the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Orlando in particular does not appeal to them, due to Florida's notoriety for systematic racism.

    Although going through with such a decision could certainly be controversial for fans and the media, the league has announced that players will face no consequences for abstaining from participation, other than a cut to their salary. Only time will tell how this situation is resolved.

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  • Not Everyone is Supportive of NBA's Restart Plan

    SportZ 0 Comments

    Last week, the NBA announced plans to restart the season at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The league's board of governors and the players' union both approved a 22-team format, including all teams with a playoff spot and any club within six games of a berth, where eight games would be played to wrap up the regular season along with a possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed and post-season. The season is set to resume on July 30.

    However, there are several prominent players who are still reluctant to accept this new plan. This Friday, Kyrie Irving led a call with over 80 NBA and WNBA players, during which they discussed this very topic. According to sources, Donovan Mitchell, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard among others talked about potentially sitting out this restart. In general, they did not fully support the season's resume due to nationwide unrest from social injustice and racism, not to mention the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Orlando in particular does not appeal to them, due to Florida's notoriety for systematic racism.

    Although going through with such a decision could certainly be controversial for fans and the media, the league has announced that players will face no consequences for abstaining from participation, other than a cut to their salary. Only time will tell how this situation is resolved.

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  • Wes Unseld Dies at 74

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    NBA Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld passed away this Tuesday. His death was confirmed by his family in a statement posted on the Washington Wizards' website; according to them, he had received a diagnoses of pneumonia among other illnesses. The location of his death was not specified. He was 74.

    Wes Unseld was a premier center for the Baltimore Bullets, known today as the Washington Wizards. Despite being undersized for his position as 6-7, he was a tenacious rebounder, averaging 14 boards a game during his career. He made the all-star team five times, helped lead the Bullets to their only championship in 1978, and was one of only two players in NBA history to win MVP in his rookie season. After he retired, he joined the franchise's front office, acting as vice president, head coach, and GM. Although he played against much taller centers, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Nate Thurmond, he managed to effectively contribute to his team and achieve success during his professional career. He will always be remembered for his accomplishments both on and off the court.

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