On Tuesday, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid expressed some concerns over the NBA âbubbleâ at Disney World in Orlando, questioning whether or not it will actually be safe. The Sixers star even went as far to say that he âhatedâ the idea.
ESPN analyst and former NBA center Kendrick Perkins did not take Embiid's comments too kindly, saying that the All-Star should just go out and play ball like players on other contenders.
Kendrick Perkins goes off on Joel Embiid for his fear of catching COVID-19 in the NBA bubble. Does Perkins have a point? (Via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/zml57E0NI1
â Andscape (@andscape) July 8, 2020
The 2019-20 NBA campaign was suspended back in mid-March as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension occurred after Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
There were legitimate questions as to whether or not the NBA would resume its season at all in the wake of the crisis, but last month, the league agreed to restart its campaign at Disney World at the end of July.
Article Continues BelowIn order to make the environment as safe as possible, the league invited only 22 teams to the season's resumption, with the eight clubs that were already far out of playoff contention being eliminated. The Sixers were included in the NBA squads invited back to restart the season, as they were in sixth place in the East standings at 39-26 before the season was suspended.
There will be eight âseedingâ games followed by the postseason. For what it's worth, Joel Embiid and his Sixers have already clinched a playoff spot and would only be fighting for playoff positioning.
Of course, the NBA has implemented a very strict protocol for the players to follow in order to best prevent any of them contracting the coronavirus.
Embiid is not the only player who has voiced his concerns about individuals not adhering to the bubble protocol, but as Perkins noted, the players who have spoken out have not been members of what most consider to be championship-contending teams.