NBA players and other professional athletes are doing all they can to stay in shape during the coronavirus pandemic, but many of them do not have access to full private gyms or basketball courts. As you might expect, that has created a major concern for teams.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday that the NBA is putting together a 25-day “back to basketball” plan so the league can be prepared if and when clearance comes from health officials. Windhorst discussed further details of the plan on “Get Up!” Monday morning, and he said trainers and doctors are very worried about the potential for injuries when play resumes — even in the practices leading up to the potential games.
"They are really concerned about injuries on players."@WindhorstESPN discusses more details on the NBA's back-to-basketball plan. pic.twitter.com/YvkbBwycat
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 13, 2020
While many star players have their own personal courts, that is not true of the majority of the players in the league. Teams have tried to send players workout equipment, but there’s a difference between remaining in good physical condition and remaining in basketball shape. According to Windhorst, one team has 11 players who live in apartments, and they don’t have any access to basketball courts at the moment.
The 2011-12 NBA season was shortened by a lockout, but players were able to organize scrimmages and pickup games while things were on hold. That has not been an option during the coronavirus outbreak.
Adam Silver has acknowledged that the NBA season probably will not resume anytime soon, so that is likely the point of having a 25-day plan in place. That will hopefully give players enough time to get their basketball legs back.
