The continuation of the 2019-20 NBA season is still up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the entire world. The league is still discussing and thinking about options on how to proceed with the rest of the season and the postseason, or if it should proceed at all given the situation.
A popular suggestion that has surfaced is to have all teams and essential staff reside and play out the rest of the season under one roof to prevent any possible infections within the league moving forward. Charles Barkley, who guested on the Hoops, Adjacent podcast, expressed his concern on whether players would want to spend a couple of months without seeing their families.
According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, should that option come to fruition, it’s possible that the league may allow immediate family members to go with them to Las Vegas, or wherever the NBA decides to push through with the season.
Barkley’s concerns are well founded, which is why, according to sources primed on the ongoing talks, the hope is that immediate family members would be able to accompany their NBA-playing relatives to Las Vegas.
“There (are) enough luxury hotels to accommodate the players and their families, which would remove any concerns with the egos involved with the players as it relates to accommodations,” one prominent agent who’s talked with players and agents about the proposed plan said Wednesday. “… The players want to play, and by allowing them the option to bring immediate family members, we eliminate their desire to want to leave the city.”
This is definitely a valid concern for the players. With everything that’s going on in the world right now, being away from their families during these trying times is the last thing they want to do right now. Certainly, having their wives, kids, and parents around, while resuming the season, is in their best interests. It will be interesting to see how the NBA will proceed with all of these circumstances.
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