The NBA continues to put significant emphasis on stricter healthy and safety protocols amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league has already informed all team members to avoid gathering outside of their respective homes for the upcoming Super Bowl LV.

For NBA players at home, they can freely watch together with their family members who are already within the household. However, players on the road may only host up to four individuals in a hotel, given that they return a negative case on advance COVID-19 testing.

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The NFL is already down to its final game of the 2020 season after successfully navigating through the regular season and playoff proceedings amid the pandemic. The professional football league also canceled their Pro Bowl festivities which was replaced by a Madden exhibition game with the NFC side emerging victorious over the AFC on a 32-12 victory.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was eventually hailed as the Pro Bowl MVP. Meanwhile, the NBA's plans to have an actual All-Star Game was met with criticism after Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James ripped the league with his claims of having ‘zero energy' for the game and that the ongoing plans were ‘a slap in the face'.

As it stands today, the league is still pushing through with the All-Star Game slated on March 7 in Atlanta despite the resistance from its marquee players. Hopefully, the league can choose to prioritize the health of everyone involved instead, similar to how the NFL has opted to do it.

For now, the NBA is doing its best to minimize the risks of having a potential outbreak midway through the season, given their set limitations on Super Bowl watch parties. The championship game will feature the Kansas City Chiefs as they defend their Super Bowl title against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Feb. 7. at Tampa Bay, Florida.