For all the testing and protocols the league puts in place, restarting the league in Orlando comes with risks to players’ health — and some NBA players don’t want to play and take that risk. Others don’t want to lace up their shoes until more is done on social and racial injustice issues.
Those players can choose to stay home from the restart and will not be punished by the team or league — but they will sacrifice pay — reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He adds that the NBA and the National Basketball Players’ Association are negotiating the terms of that right now.
Sources: As NBA and NBPA are finalizing terms on return-to-play plan today, there’s a faction of players discussing as a group whether restarting season in the Orlando bubble is a good idea. Several dozen players participated in a conference call in last 24 hours to discuss it.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2020
That there are players on a conference call talking about this shows it’s not merely one or two guys. The league and union have found a reasonable solution, letting players who don’t want to play stay home.
The NBA and NBPA are expected to agree on a provision that wouldn't require players to restart the season, nor subject them to discipline for staying home, sources tell ESPN. The players would lose a portion of salary for those games missed. https://t.co/WkV5qqEmE5
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2020
The NBA and NBPA are nearing completion on items needed to reach a final agreement on parameters of a return-to-play, sources said. Some players with hesitation have been discussing a number of issues on return, including family concerns, COVID-19, social justice, and more.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2020
This is the right thing to do by the league. Players should not be forced to participate in this restart down in Orlando.
How much risk someone is willing to take right now is a personal decision. For a player with a child who is compromised in some way and at higher risk from the disease, they may want to accept far less risk than a single 22-year-old. There also are players with conditions that put them at higher risk from COVID-19, they should not be forced to play. Ultimately, it should be up to the individual player if they want to take the risks, and if not they should be able to stay home without fear of punishment.
However, it’s fair to say they should not get paid for not playing.
We will see how many players are willing to forgo their pay and stay home — and if that includes any key contributors on contending teams (where there may well be peer pressure to play and chase the ring). Maybe it’s just a few players, maybe it’s far more than we expect.
It’s a personal choice for each guy, and that’s as it should be.