Woj: Some Players getting cold feet about playing in Orlando

[dautjazz]

NBC Sports https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/nba-insider-tom-haberstroh/nba-faces-major-health-safety-obstacles-return

Key component of NBA restart plans as cases surge in surrounding area:

Disney support staff, as of now, will NOT be subject to NBA's bubble protocols with daily testing/quarantine. They are free to go in and out of campus, per a Disney union official.

Why even restart. It's going to be a gong show.

When should we resume? We probably wont have widespread vaccines until atleast the end of the 2020-21 season (traditional schedule). How many seasons are you ok with losing, how many seasons do you think great players are ok with losing?

[bisme37]

They already said if players don't want to play they don't have to. So I don't get trying to ruin it for players who do want to play. If you don't want to play, don't. Problem solved. And I especially don't get it coming from an injured player who wouldn't be playing anyway.

The question then becomes what percentage of players want to play according to this proposal, formally voted on, not coming out of a few Zoom calls with superstars that are amplified by league sources to keep advertisers warm.

IMO there's really no need for a formal vote because each individual player can choose whether to play or not. Why should players who don't want to play be able to stop players who do?

[levon]

They already said if players don't want to play they don't have to. So I don't get trying to ruin it for players who do want to play. If you don't want to play, don't. Problem solved. And I especially don't get it coming from an injured player who wouldn't be playing anyway.

The question then becomes what percentage of players want to play according to this proposal, formally voted on, not coming out of a few Zoom calls with superstars that are amplified by league sources to keep advertisers warm.

IMO there's really no need for a formal vote because each individual player can choose whether to play or not. Why should players who don't want to play be able to stop players who do?

Because if like 35% of the league doesn't want to go, how would that work? The whole "no play, no pay" idea is predicated on the assumption that only a few players want to sit out, but reports say that the number of players that are frustrated about this is growing. At some point, it becomes untenable to replace folks, especially if a star or two don't agree.

This might just be a non-issue and eventually those players are pacified. I just think they need to conduct an internal poll formally.

[bondom34]

The headline

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[Dominator83]

Kyrie is the leading force behind canceling a season he's not even going to play in. No one should care what he thinks in this situation.

Or, possibly, no one should care what you think in this situation.

Yea Kyrie is a douche's douche most of the time, but here he's sorta speaking up for the little guys. The ones that were considered not important enough to have a vote or say in this

[dautjazz]

You ever hear of the Colosseum and do you know what it's true purpose was? There is a solid reason not to play.

Yeah bro NBA players are enslaved and forced to fight to the death, it's literally exactly the same as the Colosseum.

Stupid mfer

Haha
Players making millions to play a sport that is relatively safe under normal conditions. Even with COVID - what is the actual risk they are taking?
Young, generally healthy and have best medical support. I am sure if some of them had a true medical concern it would be addressed.
Seems like the issue is they want to be able to go about their own business outside the”bubble”.
The NBA compared to any other league globally has provided the platform to the players to address social concerns.
For the mental well being of a lot of people could be great.
Again if players say no. I don’t begrudge them at the end they would be taking the financial hit of that choice. That’s theirs to make.

Have players take a physical, if you have concerning levels like high blood pressure, players should be warned that they are in the group at higher risk, then they can make the decision to play or not. I would think not even 1% of the players would be at risk. Ofcourse you're spouse or child could be in far worse health, so evaluate if you want to have them in the bubble or if you want to play based on that as well, but lets be real, there is going to be a similar risk level outside the bubble anyways, these people are not locked up in their houses once restrictions get raised.

[RIPskaterdude]

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[levon]

The headline

...

**** Woj, man. What a shill.

[K For Three]

The headline

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I been tough on Kyrie since he left Boston, but he has every right to get concerns out there players might be having. I doubt he is only speaking for himself too.

[StickeeFingaz]

What an article. Kyrie is a clown and suddenly has decided to make this all about him. He's trying to sabotage the NBA. I started reading this article and almost thought it was fake after reading the first few paragraphs.

He voted for the plan to restart and was on the call asking questions about whether Disney would have his favorite chips & salsa/liquor.

[Fat]

NBC Sports https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/nba-insider-tom-haberstroh/nba-faces-major-health-safety-obstacles-return

Key component of NBA restart plans as cases surge in surrounding area:

Disney support staff, as of now, will NOT be subject to NBA's bubble protocols with daily testing/quarantine. They are free to go in and out of campus, per a Disney union official.

Why even restart. It's going to be a gong show.

When should we resume? We probably wont have widespread vaccines until atleast the end of the 2020-21 season (traditional schedule). How many seasons are you ok with losing, how many seasons do you think great players are ok with losing?

A game is more important than a life?

[NBAFan93]

The headline

...

**** Woj, man. What a shill.

I know right. Talk about trashing a guy for disagreeing w/ the popular opinion ...

[Ill News]

There's a couple of damning things about these recent reports. First of all, it appears the player's association didn't take into account the opinions of a majority of other players (I'm guessing these are role players), which could mean Chris Paul and other superstars just went ahead and decided for them. That's a terrible and borderline selfish move, so I don't fault Kyrie for speaking up and leading for those who felt disregarded. In fact, I kinda admire it. CP3 has proven to be quite self-interested in some of his decision-making as president, so I don't really trust him.

Then there's the report that Disney staff are not subject to the bubble protocols the NBA will put in place, and that they'll be free to come and go wherever they please. I'm sorry, but doesn't that DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF BEING IN A BUBBLE?? Even if the Disney staff will have limited contact with anyone from the NBA, that's still a huge risk considering COVID cases in Florida are rising through the roof right now.

Just cancel the damn season.


EDIT: I just read Woj's hit piece on Kyrie as being a disruptor, and the first few paragraphs about Kyrie asking mundane questions of no consequence during the first meeting was hilarious. Typical Kyrie

I'm guessing he changed his mind after seeing the impact of all the George Floyd protests, and deciding that restarting the NBA would be a distraction from these important issues. That or he's just doing this to sabotage LeBron's title drive, which would be absolutely hilarious lol

[K For Three]

This is very very Kyrie though btw. He is all about players being treated like human beings and not just entertainers.

I mean this is soooooo Kyrie. I am sure though he's not the only one who feels this way. Just looking at Jaylen Brown's twitter page lately it's mostly about politics.

[levon]

Irving is expected to be a significant voice on a call Friday night that's expected to include a substantial percentage of the league's players, sources said. Irving's been a leader in sharing his thoughts on race and wealth in America, asking how precisely a predominately black group of NBA players should proceed in this climate of racial transformation in the country.

...

In recent days, Irving has been one of the prominent player voices tapping into the hearts, minds and ambitions of his peers in the wake of George Floyd's death in police custody. Players are discussing everything now -- from the limitations of freedom in the proposed bubble, the value of the remaining season for many teams and players, the risk of sickness and injury, and yes, the pain, anguish and determination of communities throughout the country on the issues of police brutality and racial equality.

While many players themselves are arguing that these discussions benefit from a global stage with the world watching the resumption in Orlando, the argument hasn't been so simple for some players.

"Once we start playing basketball again, the news will turn from systemic racism to who did what in the game last night. It's a crucial time for us to be able to play and blend that and impact what's happening in our communities," one widely respected NBA player told ESPN. "We are asking ourselves, 'Where and how can we make the biggest impact?' Mental health is part of the discussion too, and how we handle all of that in a bubble."

I filtered the hit piece to some actual information.

[basketballRob]

The question then becomes what percentage of players want to play according to this proposal, formally voted on, not coming out of a few Zoom calls with superstars that are amplified by league sources to keep advertisers warm.

IMO there's really no need for a formal vote because each individual player can choose whether to play or not. Why should players who don't want to play be able to stop players who do?

Because if like 35% of the league doesn't want to go, how would that work? The whole "no play, no pay" idea is predicated on the assumption that only a few players want to sit out, but reports say that the number of players that are frustrated about this is growing. At some point, it becomes untenable to replace folks, especially if a star or two don't agree.

This might just be a non-issue and eventually those players are pacified. I just think they need to conduct an internal poll formally.

It is going to grow. Haven't you heard, eventually nearly everyone will get. Coronavirus like the flu will be here forever.

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[azcatz11]

Dont want to play because of Corona fear? I get that. Dont want to play because you feel like social/political activism is more important? Cool do your thing.

When it comes to not wanting to play because you might be viewed as just entertainers for the country. Ya dont care to hear this point of view. Your job is literally being an entertainer.

Still think there is a good chunk of these guys who are questioning playing because of the entire situation of the "bubble". Not because of optics or anything like that. But because they're filthy rich millionaires in their 20s and early 30s who want to go out and have fun (we all know what falls under this haha). Being locked up in a hotel room for 2.5 months probably doesnt sound appealing at all to many of these younger guys. But instead of saying that they're coming up with more "mature" reasons to say publicly.

Agreed and I honestly can't blame them. I feel like the players (rank and file) are way more educated and better with money than they've ever been and are fine with losing whatever % of salary they would lose in not finishing the season.

Everything is relative ya know

[basketballRob]

There's a couple of damning things about these recent reports. First of all, it appears the player's association didn't take into account the opinions of a majority of other players (I'm guessing these are role players), which could mean Chris Paul and other superstars just went ahead and decided for them. That's a terrible and borderline selfish move, so I don't fault Kyrie for speaking up and leading for those who felt disregarded. In fact, I kinda admire it. CP3 has proven to be quite self-interested in some of his decision-making as president, so I don't really trust him.

Then there's the report that Disney staff are not subject to the bubble protocols the NBA will put in place, and that they'll be free to come and go wherever they please. I'm sorry, but doesn't that DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF BEING IN A BUBBLE?? Even if the Disney staff will have limited contact with anyone from the NBA, that's still a huge risk considering COVID cases in Florida are rising through the roof right now.

Just cancel the damn season.

Lol. Just cancel basketball permanently.

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[ejs78]

If the players don't want to play that's fine.

Everyone will just need to know and prepare for an even greater financial fallout. There's already articles on how this would lead to a lockout and cap in a new CBA could drop atleast 15 million.

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[K For Three]

There's a couple of damning things about these recent reports. First of all, it appears the player's association didn't take into account the opinions of a majority of other players (I'm guessing these are role players), which could mean Chris Paul and other superstars just went ahead and decided for them. That's a terrible and borderline selfish move, so I don't fault Kyrie for speaking up and leading for those who felt disregarded. In fact, I kinda admire it. CP3 has proven to be quite self-interested in some of his decision-making as president, so I don't really trust him.

Then there's the report that Disney staff are not subject to the bubble protocols the NBA will put in place, and that they'll be free to come and go wherever they please. I'm sorry, but doesn't that DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF BEING IN A BUBBLE?? Even if the Disney staff will have limited contact with anyone from the NBA, that's still a huge risk considering COVID cases in Florida are rising through the roof right now.

Just cancel the damn season.

Yep this is pretty bad. My guess this whole thing ends up folding but we'll see.

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