LOS ANGELES – On Tuesday, reports surfaced that the NBA's infamous anonymous hotline had already received ‘multiple tips' of bubble violations. As it turns out, LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers isn't totally against it, and LeBron James better watch out.
In his daily meeting with members of the media, Rivers joked that he's a big fan of the hotline, and has already reported multiple people.
“I turned in LeBron yesterday, I’m turning in Pop today,” Rivers quipped. “I’m turning all these guys in. I think it's phenomenal. We’re gonna be the only team left when I’m done with this hotline.”
It took less than a week, but we've already seen bubble violations from players like Richaun Holmes of the Sacramento Kings and Bruno Caboclo of the Houston Rockets. Both players were forced to quarantine for 10 straight days in their hotel room before they could be tested and resume activities if negative.
It's unfortunate to see, but the one thing that comes out of this is seeing how seriously the NBA is taking the bubble and any violations very seriously.
“It’s funny, I know about it, but I don’t think it’s a problem at all,” Rivers added. “I think it’s good. This is not some normal thing with COVID-19. Obviously, it’s not only that you could get sick, but you could get other people sick and so it’s very important for all of us. We want to do our jobs and so I think having a hotline, I guess that’s what they’re calling it, I guess that’s important.”
So far, the Clippers have held practice every day but one, and when they're not practicing, they're enjoying video games, fishing, and whatever other activities the Disney campus has available to them. Rivers, who is an avid golfer, says his time between practices is spent riding his bike, golfing, and watching film.
“It's mostly team stuff,” said Rivers when asked what his day-to-day process entails. “Nothing changes. Once the season starts, and to me, the season has started because we're back in training camp, on off days you have time for that. We'll have an off day here and there and then we'll go golfing, at least I do. Some guys go fishing. But it's neat. Like this morning, even though we practiced I got up and rode my bike and saw the coaches running and jogging. So, you still do that. But I would say for the most part, you're still doing your job: basketball. The difference is after you're here on the floor, you're in the team room. If you're not working out or something you're back in your room. So there's no yard to go to, that's for sure.”
The Clippers still don't have updates on the statuses or whereabouts of Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac, and Landry Shamet. Shamet is still back home getting through the coronavirus, and it didn't sound like Morris or Zubac were too far away from arriving in Orlando.
Training camp for the Clippers continues over the next week, and they'll have their first game action on July 22 against the Orlando Magic.
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