Despite being one of the last teams to arrive to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Los Angeles Lakers wasted no time in making their presence felt in the bubble environment.
Although their stay got off to a rocky start after losing point guard Rajon Rondo to a fractured thumb, expectations remain as high as ever. Head coach Frank Vogel has acknowledged the challenges involved with trying to get back into the swing of the NBA season under the circumstances.
He has even made it a point to take time off where he can in order to prevent being overwhelmed by the restart. “This is a unique environment that we’ve entered into. The important thing with regards to families and not having what we’re accustomed to, is the balance piece,” Vogel recently said.
“The ability to step away from your coaches, teammates, the game and mentally immerse yourself in something else, which is what we lean so heavily on our families for. It’s difficult because you can’t just go home and spend time with them. Me, personally, I’m really pretty heavily on FaceTime.
“It’s not perfect but I spend a lot of my nights basically in the same room with my wife and daughters on FaceTime having dinner together and just enjoying each other’s company. There are a handful of things here on campus that we’re able to do to bring balance to our basketball lives, and we’re trying to take advantage of those as well.”
Players had expressed some concern with the prospect of having to stay in quarantine for anywhere from four weeks to over three months. The NBA has since done what it can to provide a sense of normalcy by encouraging to take full advantage of all the amenities that the resort has to offer.
Lakers taking bubble in stride
Fortunately, it appears the the Lakers quickly acclimated to life in the bubble. LeBron James and Anthony Davis recently caused quite a stir on 2K20, while JaVale McGee continues to document the trip for his Youtube vlog titled “Life in the Bubble.”
Vogel is hoping that by staying occupied with activities off the court, it will help pay huge dividends for them any time they are on it.
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