NBA threatens significant punishments for teams that break COVID protocols

The NBA will be implementing some of the strictest penalties we’ve seen against teams that violate the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported on the memo that went out around the league regarding the protocols for the upcoming season. Most notable is the potential punishment for teams who violate the protocol, and whose violations lead to other teams being impacted or changes in the schedule. In addition to fines and suspensions, the league says that forfeiture of draft picks or even games could be on the table.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that teams are “extremely aware” of these possible punishments, and they are considered a “huge concern” to be avoided. The league has taken note of how the NFL has come down hard on protocol violations.

The NBA would have a tougher time juggling schedule adjustments, as any outbreak on a team could impact multiple games. With that in mind, it’s understandable why forfeiture would be on the table. It’s also easy to see why the NBA would come down so hard on anything that violates protocol and leads to such an outbreak.