NBA Bubble: The Gold Standard of Sports During COVID-19

On Oct. 11, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. This victory marked the end of an unprecedented season, in which the Playoffs took place in an isolated-zone inside Disneyworld in Orlando due to COVID-19. The NBA’s idea of a “bubble” ended up being a tremendous success and has proved to be the gold standard for keeping their players and staff safe during the virus.

The concept of the NBA bubble is self-explanatory. Players and important staff traveled to Disneyworld, where they had to self-isolate for 48 hours and then test negative for COVID-19. After a successful test, those in the bubble were allowed to participate in basketball activities with their teams and roam freely about the Disneyworld campus, which included an array of amenities such as pools, a golf course, a lake with boats provided, and player lounges. Players were allowed to leave the bubble but had to quarantine for ten days and record a negative test after. Eventually, a limited number of family members per player or coach were allowed in the bubble as well, and they had to adhere to the same guidelines. 

Overall, the bubble worked perfectly. Over the course of the three months the isolation zone was intact, only a handful of staff tested positive for COVID-19, and no players did. The success of the bubble can be attributed to several factors, but two of the most essential were the thorough and innovative method of testing and the strict enforcement of rules. The NBA received special authorization from the FDA to test players and personnel daily using a saliva test prototype, SalivaDirect, developed by Yale scientists. This relatively inexpensive and extremely convenient alternative to swabbing worked like a charm in the bubble and contributed to its success.

Other professional sporting leagues should use the NBA’s bubble as the standard for safe sports until a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed. These measures prioritize the safety of the players and staff, which should always be the most important agenda. It is far more difficult for sports like football and baseball to play the entire regular season in a quarantined zone due to their overwhelming number of players. However, in the postseason, when there are less teams and thus less personnel, if possible, other leagues should emulate the NBA Bubble. For example, the MLB used the NBA’s concept for their postseason this fall, creating several bubble sites around the country for sets of Playoff games. And after a tumultuous start to a season plagued by numerous positive tests on a weekly basis, the NFL should take note and follow the MLB and the NBA’s lead. Until COVID-19 is in the rear-view mirror for good, professional sports leagues should lead by example by creating safe environments for competition.