The NBA and NFL are currently trying to force their way through huge amounts of positive COVID-19 cases while canceling as few games as possible. The NHL decided enough was enough and broke for their annual winter break two days early and many around the NBA, including Denver Nuggets guard Austin Rivers, who had this to say about NBA commissioner Adam Silver's refusal to consider a shutdown when he spoke to Mike Singer of the Denver Post:

“Yeah, I was surprised. … Look what's going on. Guys are f****** dropping like flies right now, man.” – Austin Rivers

There are more than 90 players are currently in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including ten each from the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets and eight from the Toronto Raptors. The increase in cases has led to nine postponed games this month. Even with reinforcements on 10-day contracts, it is getting hard for teams to reach a minimum of eight dressed players. While the Nuggets have not been one of the most affected teams by the virus, Rivers is clearly feeling for his brothers across the league.

According to ESPN and CBS Sports, in an attempt to limit postponements, the league and the NBPA have agreed to new rules about signing replacement players, and tighter protocols that call for more testing and stricter mask requirements. Whatever the league chooses to do, it is clear they have a different agenda from 2020. Last year, the league and the NBPA had health and safety paramount and in 2021, it seems that what is most important is that the season does not have to be interrupted. Austin Rivers was simply pointing that out, just in an NSFW way.