Things are moving very quickly for the NBA as the league and all teams get prepared for the 2020-21 season. It is set to tipoff on December 22, with training camps opening on the first of the month.
However, the health concerns around the country that forced the NBA to finish the 2020 season inside a bubble aren’t dying out. The ongoing pandemic caused many players to opt-out of the restart, including the likes of Bradley Beal, DeAndre Jordan, Trevor Ariza and Avery Bradley.
Because the pandemic is still going, players do have the option of opting out of this season as well, but they will have to make that decision soon. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA and NBPA agreed that players who choose to opt-out of the 2020-21 season must notify the league by December 1:
Sources: The NBA and NBPA have agreed that players who elect not to play in 2020-21 season must notify of election by Dec. 1. Players who elect not to play will be prohibited from signing a contract for which 2020-21 season is covered.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
By the time training camps open up, any players who choose to not play will be known. Though unlike the 2020 season, there haven’t been any players yet who have chosen to sit out this season.
With so many players who didn’t play in the bubble, they are likely chomping at the bit to get back on the court. Not to mention the knowledge of the virus and better testing makes things a little more manageable.
It will be much more difficult for the NBA to make it through the entirety of the season without issue outside of a bubble and sports fans everywhere have seen the issues it has caused the NFL, MLB and NCAA. The season is fast approaching and as such, players will have to make this decision very quickly.
Lakers home games won’t have fans
Although the NBA has sent guidelines to teams in markets that are eligible to have a limited number of fans in attendance, that does not apply to the Los Angeles Lakers. The organization announced their home games during the 2020-21 season will not have any fans for the time being.
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