The NBA has a long and comprehensive security protocol for the season restart at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida in an effort to keep COVID-19 out as much as possible.
However, the 113-page manual explaining all the rules in force was too much for San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan.
Being able to compete on a basketball court in close contact with other players, but they are not allowed to play ping pong doubles at hotels, he said, makes no sense.
“The ping-pong thing is ridiculous, to be honest,” DeRozan said Thursday on ESPN. “Boys can’t do this, but can we do this and fight each other? That part just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I went through 10 lines of the manual and put it down because sometimes it got very frustrating and overwhelming, because you never thought you would be in a situation like this. So it’s difficult to process sometimes. “
The NBA is slated to resume play on July 30 amid the pandemic, which is still raging in both Florida and the United States overall.
There were more than 2.7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States as of Thursday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and it was attributed more than 128,000 deaths. The country registered nearly 50,000 new cases on Wednesday alone, too, a new single-day record.
Florida had more than 169,000 cases, and established multiple one-day records for new cases last week. Orange County, where Disney World is, had more than 11,000 confirmed cases.
DeRozan concerned about mental health
While physical safety is clearly a priority for the league during the pandemic, DeRozan is concerned about another extremely important health aspect for players during the NBA “bubble”.
He is concerned about his mental health.
DeRozan, one of the biggest mental health advocates in the league, knows how difficult this new setup can be for players, especially being isolated for so long.
“Definitely, something at stake that is being discussed is mental well-being for everyone,” said DeRozan, via ESPN. “It will definitely be an option for the guys, to be able to have resources there to stay on top of that. Because it will definitely be a new challenge for all of us.”
“It is difficult. You are taking boys who have been with their families every day for the last few months and suddenly, separating everyone in this confined space and taking away many happy things that we do outside of basketball …” It will be something for every player when it comes to mental health. “
Spurs star DeMar DeRozan knows how tough the NBA’s health and safety protocols in Florida will be for players’ mental health. (AP / Eric Gay)
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