July 30th was the day that the NBA was set to resume. It kicked off with the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz vs. the New Orleans Pelicans. We had not seen live basketball since March 11, and with the pandemic closing down more than just basketball, people were very intrigued to see how this new system was going to work. Almost two months before this resumption of the season, the NBA’s Board of Governors had approved a bubble system. This system included many health and safety protocols, a single space where the games would take place, which would be at Walt Disney World Resort, and an outside basketball approach to the issue of racism and the promotion of social justice.

Once this new plan was approved and near implementation, the word was sent out that the NBA season was soon to resume. The plan was to bring in 22 teams, 16 that were in playoff position, and 6 more that could make it in the 8th seed with a few extra wins. This system, we would soon to find out, was the perfect way for sports to come back, as it would allow teams to keep playing basketball and for fans to keep up with their favorite teams, all while doing it in a way that would prevent people from getting sick or contracting the virus.

The way the virus has been contained within the NBA is very simple, but it is a great plan nonetheless. There are routine temperature checks for the whole team’s staff; if players must leave the bubble, it is a two-week process from them to return to, and be allowed to play in the bubble. The teams are only allowed to have a limited number of staff members per organization, and as of August 31, players have been given the ability to bring close friends and family members to the bubble. If you happened to watch a game on TV, you might have seen that the staff on the bench are wearing face coverings and not in complete contact with the players. On top of that, there are zero fans in attendance, and instead, there are virtual fans. A select few people are allowed to be on the screens surrounding the arena, which displays the faces of fans via Zoom. The fans can be quite entertaining at times, as they may be superfans, ex-NBA players, and even mascots from the teams currently playing.

With this system working wonders for the NBA, you begin to think that this system could work not only for sports but for other things as well. Things such as large companies, where employees would stay on the premise and have the ability to work without cancellation or concern of contracting Covid-19.