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The NBA bubble is tremendous in many respects.

It can protect players and staff from COVID-19 and produce an environment that allows the finish of the season amid a pandemic. The work done in that area is commendable and created a blueprint for other sports.

In other respects, the NBA bubble is flawed. It can shield players from a health pandemic but it can't protect players from other pandemics - racial inequality, social injustice and police brutality.

Isolated from family and friends for nearly two months, players reached a boiling point following the police shooting of Jacob Blake - an unarmed Black man who was shot seven times in the back and paralyzed - that made them reconsider the value of playing games if their message wasn't heard widely enough.

It was always a tough ask of players to leave home for at least a month, maybe two and possibly three if a player's team advanced to the Finals. The Blake shooting made it even more stressful as players were left to process the news, sometimes without the support of those closest to them, while under pressure to constantly comment on the latest horror.

While I can't understand the depth of Black players' anguish, frustration and anger, I recognized it. I heard it in George Hill's voice, Fred VanVleet's words, Jaylen Brown's question for America and saw it in the tweets of several players, including LeBron James. Over and over, they have asked to be recognized as human beings and they want us to recognize and understand the struggles of Black people in America. They are more than just athletes here for our entertainment.

Players are not naïve to the world and were not expecting change overnight. But the Blake shooting was jarring, and players hadn't been in the bubble for two months before they had to process another police shooting of an unarmed Black person.

What have they been saying for the past three months, since George Floyd was killed on Memorial Day? Is anyone listening? Who is helping them enact the change they want to see?

It wasn't a surprise players didn't want to play and ultimately decided not to play. But what next now that players have decided to try and complete the season?

Word out of their meeting Wednesday night was that players wanted action plans from owners. Yes, owners have pledged $300 million over 10 years to support economic empowerment in Black communities. That is a start.

But as Grand Valley State University history professor Louis Moore told USA TODAY Sports, a work stoppage by employees - even a brief one - can make owners and corporate sponsors recognize the power they have to help players put pressure on government officials to bring about change. Players already do a lot for their communities. But sometimes, it's more than providing meals or school supplies or in James' case, an entire school.

Owners have political ties that players don't. And as VanVleet said, it's not the responsibility of players to solve all of these problems.
Column continues below video:
Now, will owners step up in that regard? That is unclear. It's obvious some owners are willing to help more than they have. The owners of the Philadelphia Sixers pledged an additional $10 million to help Black communities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Taking a break from games also forces the public to take another look at the issues. Now, as you see the vile comments on Twitter directed at NBA players and Black athletes, not everyone is going to see the light. But some not only eventually get the players' perspective, they embrace it. Change is hard, and again, slow moving.

So was the temporary stoppage worth it? The players may have benefited in a couple of ways.

The NBA wasn't the only league to stop play. The Bucks started a movement that carried across several sports - the WNBA, MLB, MLS and finally on Thursday, the NHL - also went without games. That brought a lot of attention to the issues beyond the sports pages and channels as news networks jumped in to cover the unrest.

In remaining in the bubble in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, NBA players retain a very prominent spotlight with reporters every day through the end of the season. For sure, James has his media and social networking platforms to share his message. But players like Hill, VanVleet and Brown don't have 47 million followers on Twitter or shows on HBO to showcase their voices. Moore believes players can amplify their message much better in the bubble than outside of it when no one is interviewing them on a regular basis.

NBA players have about another six weeks in the bubble - that's important time in front of reporters and cameras. It's also a lot of time for another police incident and then what? Well, that will be up to players to decide.

Today, they're committed to playing. But the bubble remains a fragile environment that is not immune to all the problems going on outside of it and nothing can be guaranteed.
Follow USA TODAY Sports NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt

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Opinion: NBA bubble's fragile environment won't protect players from horrors outside

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The NBA bubble is tremendous in many respects. It can protect players and staff from COVID-19 and produce an environment that allows the finish of the season amid a pandemic. The work done in that area is commendable and created a blueprint for other sports. In other respects, the NBA bubble is flawed.

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It's manageable if you're willing to accept that COVID-19 outbreaks will become as routine in sports as a ground ball to third. It's manageable if you don't mind that athletes-not just highly paid professionals but also, in the case of college football, amateurs working for free-will be risking their health primarily to feed the billion-dollar economies they've created. And, of course, to entertain.

The coronavirus crisis now developing in pro baseball is what happens when financially motivated wishful thinking is stamped out by unavoidable reality. The odds of MLB being able to have a season free of COVID-19 were minuscule, especially since the players are on the road traveling. Even when they're home, they are tasked with behaving wisely and avoiding situations that will make them vulnerable to contracting the virus. It also didn't help that the players, owners, and Manfred all seemed to dismiss the idea of playing inside a bubble pretty quickly, because it seemed inconvenient.

What would be far more inconvenient, and embarrassing, is if the season had to be canceled because baseball's approach failed spectacularly. So far, 21 members of the Florida Marlins organization-18 of whom are players- have tested positive for the coronavirus. Six players from the Cardinals had positive tests.

The Marlins, according to an MLB internal investigation, were supposedly lax in following safety protocols and exercising common sense. While visiting Atlanta for an away game, the players reportedly went out to enjoy the Atlanta nightlife. Even though Major League Baseball's operations manual discourages players from going to bars and large gatherings, some of the Marlins apparently decided to do so anyway.

While the players do bear some responsibility, they are operating within a framework that is bound to fail. What's happening in Major League Baseball is just a microcosm of what's happening across America. This country's response to the coronavirus has been disastrous because of poor, incompetent leadership at the national and state levels. More than 4.6 million Americans have become infected with the coronavirus. Basic safety precautions have been manipulated into a political issue. What hope does sports have in trying to coexist with this pandemic?

The NBA's example certainly has fooled people in some other sports into thinking that coexistence is easy. But the NBA's success has to do with exhaustive preparation, extraordinary leadership from Commissioner Adam Silver, and a lot of luck. The NBA reportedly spent $150 million to develop its bubble. While that won't make the projected loss of $1 billion in revenue related to ticket sales sting any less, pro basketball has proved that there is an effective way to play sports in this pandemic if you're committed to safety.

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members of the florida marlins organization

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unpaid players generate.the washington post

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It's manageable if you're willing to accept that COVID-19 outbreaks will become as routine in sports as a ground ball to third. It's manageable if you don't mind that athletes-not just highly paid professionals but also, in the case of college football, amateurs working for free-will be risking their health primarily to feed the billion-dollar economies they've created.

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The NBA bubble seemed like a ridiculous concept when introduced months ago as the league weighed options to restart its 2019-20 season. Hundreds of NBA players in the same place, all but shut off from the rest of the world, for almost three months?

Yet here we are, with the NBA bubble seeming like a viable - albeit, wacky - solution to the problems associated with playing professional sports during a global pandemic.

There's no telling how the situation inside the NBA bubble will evolve as it relates to COVID-19, but the league at least was able to bring the 22 teams it invited to Orlando into the bubble in a relatively safe manner. In order for the league to keep the season going and to complete a full slate of playoff games, though, the rules of the NBA bubble will need to be followed closely.
NBA POWER RANKINGS: Bucks, Lakers top SN's Disney bubble edition
If it works, the NBA bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., will be the site of every game on the NBA schedule through early October. And a 2019-20 NBA champion will be crowned in a relatively empty arena with no fans present.

Some view the situation as illegitimate and worthy of an asterisk next to the name of the team that wins this year's NBA championship. Others view it as a unique challenge, and that this year's champion will wear the title like a badge of honor given the circumstances.

Either way, it's amazing that the NBA has been able to pull this off. Here's all you need to know about the measures the league took to form the NBA bubble in Orlando. Details of the NBA's bubble protocols are from ESPN, which obtained the 100-plus-page document the league sent to its players.

What is the NBA bubble?

The concept is simple. The NBA figured, as long as it could get all players, coaches and team/league personnel packed into one place - with COVID-19 testing assuring that none have been infected with the virus, of course - and not let any non-essential people in, it could preserve the health and safety for all involved.

This is why the NBA felt comfortable pressing forward with the bubble in Orlando even as coronavirus cases in Florida spiked over the summer. In theory, that shouldn't matter, because nobody other than those who have been invited and tested are allowed to enter the bubble, anyway.

Nobody from the 22 teams (more on those later) that were invited to resume the NBA season in the bubble were required to participate, as people who are determined by the team or by medical experts to be high risk for COVID-19 are protected/excused and will not lose salary. Players who opt out but are not deemed high risk lose the corresponding number of game checks up to a cap of 14 games.

Several NBA players, including some big names, opted out of the situation before their teams left for the NBA bubble for varying reasons.

Teams arrived in the NBA bubble on July 7 as they prepared for the resumption of the season on July 30. If the NBA bubble works, and if the playoffs reach Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the last group of players, coaches and team/league personnel will have stayed in the bubble through Oct. 12. That's ... a long time. Naturally, players, coaches and team personnel are allowed to leave the bubble once they are eliminated from contention.
MORE: List of NBA players opting out of 2020 season restart
Where is the NBA bubble?

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., at least for a few months, is simply the NBA bubble.

The ESPN-NBA connection aside, the Walt Disney World Resort presented the league a uniquely qualified infrastructure that made the bubble concept viable. Not only is the place big enough to contain all essential NBA team and league personnel, but with security, it can be isolated from the surrounding area relatively easily. Disney World, of course, wasn't hosting guests amid the COVID-19 pandemic, anyway, so it became a logical deal for both sides.

NBA games in the bubble are being played in three different arenas at the complex. Limited media, team executives, NBA/union personnel and inactive players are allowed in the stands, but other than a couple sponsors here and there, no fans are allowed to attend.

Team/league personnel are staying in three different hotels - The Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, the Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club - on campus. Hotels were assigned to teams based on their places in the NBA standings, with the top four seeds in each conference getting rooms at the top-of-the-line Gran Destino Tower.

Most of the amenities at the massive resort, including pools, golf courses and lounges, are available for anybody on campus to use.

NBA bubble teams

The list of NBA bubble teams consists of the 16 teams that were in the playoffs based on NBA standings when the season was suspended in March, plus the six teams that were six games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences. Those six teams are the Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Suns, Kings, Spurs and Wizards.

Below are the 22 teams in the NBA bubble based on the standings when the season resumed.

Eastern Conference

1. Milwaukee Bucks (53-12)

2. Toronto Raptors (46-18)

3. Boston Celtics (43-21)

4. Miami Heat (41-24)

5. Indiana Pacers (39-26)

6. Philadelphia 79ers (39-26)

7. Brooklyn Nets (30-34)

8. Orlando Magic (30-35)

9. Washington Wizards (24-40)

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers (49-14)

2. Los Angeles Clippers (44-20)

3. Denver Nuggets (43-22)

4. Utah Jazz (41-23)

5. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24)

6. Houston Rockets (40-24)

7. Dallas Mavericks (40-27)

8. Memphis Grizzlies (32-33)

9. Portland Trail Blazers (29-37)

10. New Orleans Pelicans (28-36)

11. Sacramento Kings (28-36)

12. San Antonio Spurs (27-36)

13. Phoenix Suns (26-39)

NBA teams not in the bubble

Eastern Conference

Charlotte Hornets (23-42)

Chicago Bulls (22-43)

New York Knicks (21-45)

Detroit Pistons (20-46)

Atlanta Hawks (20-47)

Cleveland Cavaliers (19-46)

Western Conference

Minnesota Timberwolves (19-45)

Golden State Warriors (15-50)

In order to be invited the the NBA bubble in Orlando, teams had to be either in a playoff seed or within six games of the eighth seed their respective conferences. So the seasons for the Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves and Warriors ended prematurely.

The 14 NBA Lottery teams will be the eight teams above plus the six teams that do participate in the NBA bubble but do not make the playoffs. These teams will be seeded in the lottery and assigned odds based on their records through March 11.

NBA bubble rules

COVID-19 testing

Upon arrival at the NBA bubble, every player, coach and staff member had to self-isolate in their rooms for up to 48 hours until they received two negative COVID-19 tests.

COVID-19 testing is done "regularly" inside the bubble, although the league has not specified exactly how often players are tested. Unique circumstances do lead to daily testing for some.

The NBA and NBPA announced on July 13 that two players out of 322 inside the bubble had tested positive and that those players had left the campus to isolate at home. On July 29, the league announced no new players had tested positive for two weeks.

The NBA has not said how many players would need to test positive inside the bubble in order to force a halt to the season, but "the occurrence of a small or otherwise expected number of COVID-19 cases will not require a decision to suspend or cancel the resumption."

Protocols for positive COVID-19 test

Those who test positive for the coronavirus inside the bubble will go through a multi-step process, outlined by ESPN:

They will be placed in 'Isolation Housing,' which will be a house, hotel or other facility that is different from the individual's previous hotel room, at a location in which no individuals who have not tested positive are residing.

They will be administered a second COVID-19 test as soon as possible to guard against the possibility of a false positive. If that second test comes back positive, the person will remain in isolation housing.

If the second test comes back negative, a third test will be administered between 24 and 48 hours after the first test. If that test also comes back negative, the person will be allowed to reenter the NBA campus. If it comes back positive, the person will remain in isolation.

The period of treatment and isolation for players who test positive is a minimum of 14 days.

Per the CDC's guidelines, a player who tests positive and is eventually cleared will need to go through cardiac screening either two weeks after the first positive test (if he is asymptomatic) or two weeks after his symptoms clear. The player needs to pass the cardiac screening before he can return to play.

If somebody tests positive, the NBA will use video technology in an effort to trace that person's recent interactions. Anybody who had been in close contact with the individual for at least 15 minutes or had direct contact will be tested.

Number of people per team

Initially, teams were permitted to have no more than 37 people in the NBA bubble, including players, coaches, trainers, strength coaches, equipment managers, security and front-office personnel. That will be the number through the "regular season" (more on the schedule later) and into the playoffs.

However, teams are able to add people if and when they advance in the playoffs. If a team makes it past the first round, it can add two staff members, and then another pair if the team reaches the conference finals.

Guests in the NBA bubble

Nobody in the NBA bubble is allowed to have guests - at least not yet. Things will change once the playoffs arrive.

After the first round, each of the eight teams remaining will be allowed to reserve up to 17 hotel rooms, or however many players the team has on campus, for guests, one guest room per player. The guest rooms will be paid for by the players.

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association later negotiated new terms that, per ESPN, will "allow as many as four guests per player" with "exceptions for children" in those 17 hotel rooms. Non-family guests who are allowed to enter the bubble must have proof of "longstanding relationships" with the player, and those with business relationships like agents, trainers, chefs, etc., are not permitted.

Naturally, the NBA has strict protocols for would-be guests. Potential guests must self-quarantine for a week (either a full week in the bubble, or three days outside and four days inside) before they can be cleared.

The guests who do make it into the NBA bubble will have to undergo daily COVID-19 testing for four days, and anybody who tests positive will be subject to the league's protocol for everybody else in the bubble.

Each guest is allowed one ticket per playoff game with an extra seat available for children 32 inches or shorter.

Leaving the NBA bubble

Players technically are allowed to leave the bubble whenever they want, but unless it's an excused absence, doing so is not a good idea.

If anybody leaves the NBA bubble without the league's approval and wants to get back in, that person will have to go through a minimum of a 10-day quarantine and deep nasal COVID-19 testing rather than the less intrusive shallow nasal or oral testing.

A player who leaves the NBA bubble without being excused also will get reduced pay for any game he has to miss as a result of his departure.

Those who are excused to leave the NBA bubble for family emergencies, etc., must spend four days in quarantine upon re-entry, but only if they tested negative for COVID-19 every day they were outside of the bubble.

Food in the NBA bubble

Each team has its own food room, complete with a chef, that is open 24 hours a day. Players also can order room service, and they eventually will be able to have meals at some of the restaurants on the Disney campus.

When players arrived and entered the NBA bubble in early July, it didn't take long for several to complain about the food. (It's worth noting that the food options reportedly improved after the 48-hour initial quarantine period.)

Joel Embiid's posts about the 48-hour quarantine food. 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/vPQfBiMv9y
- Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 10, 2020

Troy Daniels' dinner from night one inside the Orlando bubble.

(via@troydaniels) pic.twitter.com/AbuOGNm2ba
- Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 8, 2020

MICKY MOUSE WAFFLES!! pic.twitter.com/Nb2hniV9rN
- Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) July 10, 2020

The snitch hotline

Yes, the NBA has set up a so-called "snitch line" so players can anonymously tell on anybody who breaks the rules of the NBA bubble and increases the risks for all involved. The discipline will range from a fine to a suspension to removal from campus.

As of mid-July, " multiple tips" had already been placed into the hotline ahead of the NBA season's restart regarding potential protocol violators. Speaking of NBA bubble violations ...

NBA bubble violations

Lou Williams, G, Clippers

Williams was granted approval to leave the NBA bubble for a funeral, but he made an unapproved stop at Magic City, a popular Atlanta strip club, to pick up some wings. He was forced to quarantine for 10 days inside the NBA bubble as a result.

Holmes said he accidentally crossed the Disney World campus line to pick up a delivery of chicken wings. He was forced to spend 10 days quarantining in his hotel room.

Bruno Caboclo, F, Rockers

Caboclo left his hotel room during the initial 48-hour quarantine period upon entering the NBA bubble, claiming he didn't know he wasn't allowed to do so. He was hit with the 10-day quarantine and invasive nose swab testing.

NBA bubble schedule

The NBA season will restart with each team playing eight "regular season" games to determine playoff seeding. There also will be a play-in tournament for the No. 8 seed in either conference, but only if the No. 9 seed is fewer than four games behind in the standings. Otherwise, the No. 8 seed will be safe in the bracket.

In a play-in tournament for the No. 8 seed, the current No. 8 seed would need to defeat the No. 9 seed once, and the No. 9 seed would need to defeat the No. 8 seed two games in a row.

As for the timing, the first "regular season" games in the NBA's return will be played July 31, and Game 7 of the NBA Finals (if necessary) is scheduled for Oct. 12.

Below is a day-by-day schedule for the seeding games in the NBA bubble through Aug. 14.

July 30

July 31

Aug. 1

Aug. 2

Aug. 3

Aug. 4

Aug. 5

Aug. 6

Aug. 7

Aug. 8

Aug. 9

Aug. 10

Aug. 11

Aug. 12

Aug. 13

Aug. 14

The NBA Draft (Oct. 15) and then free agency (Oct. 18) will follow the completion of the Finals. The 2020-21 NBA regular season likely will begin Dec. 1, 2020.

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NBA bubble, explained: A complete guide to the rules, teams, schedule & more for Orlando games

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The NBA bubble seemed like a ridiculous concept when introduced months ago as the league weighed options to restart its 2019-20 season. Hundreds of NBA players in the same place, all but shut off from the rest of the world, for almost three months?