There was a time when downtown Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, received flattery for wearing a cape in the dunk contest. Now he has been disciplined for not wearing a mask in the NBA bubble.
Howard says he was briefed on the NBA “Campus Hotline,” created to help protect the players and staff involved in the league restart in Orlando, Florida, and received a warning for not covering his face. with a mask.
“Someone told me,” Howard said Wednesday in an Instagram Live post, broadcast to his 2.7 million followers.
While the anonymous tip line was established in the name of security as the NBA tries to get around potential pitfalls of playing sports amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has received a nickname: the snitch hotline.
For those who break the campus perimeter, as has already happened with Richaun Holmes of the Sacramento Kings and Bruno Caboclo of the Houston Rockets, the league has strict protocol. Those individuals must enter a 10-day quarantine, which includes a more invasive testing procedure.
However, there is no uniform punishment for those who violate social distancing guidelines. The league will handle violations as they arise as necessary to keep the campus safe.
As unpleasant as it is to have teams watching each other, considering that there could be a competitive advantage gained by reporting a breach, if players are not protected from a spread of coronavirus in the bubble, there will be no games to be competitive anyway.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel, speaking in a video conference with reporters on Friday, said he was aware of the warning to Howard.
“(My) reaction is that we should all wear masks in and around the hotel lobby,” said Vogel. “And in the areas where we are asked to wear a mask, we should wear a mask. And he is doing it now.”
In fact, Howard posted another video on his Instagram story on Thursday. He wore a mask, covered with the NBA logo.
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