Austin Rivers Gives An Interesting Take On Why He Thinks This Season’s NBA Champ Should Have An Asterisk

There’s been a lot of debate as to whether this NBA season, if it even happens, should result in an asterisk for the eventual champion. The last time we had an asterisk season was the Spurs’ title win following the 1998 NBA lockout. It was a season where the No. 8 seed Knicks made the Finals and, other than Tim Duncan and David Robinson‘s dominance, nothing went as expected. Players were out of weight, brief training camps left them underprepared, and the shortened season didn’t help either.

The presumed NBA restart in the Orlando bubble will likely learn from that experience. Even in the last 20 years, players have learned a lot more about diet and offseason fitness that guys like Shawn Kemp legitimately didn’t even think about.

But the Rockets’ Austin Rivers has a different reason why he thinks the NBA champion this year should have an asterisk by their title win. He told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks in a text message:

Perhaps not the most grammatically flawless text but it’s an interesting take. And maybe one a little motivated by the possibility of the Rockets being built for this sort of environment with their cardio-monster stars in James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

In a lot of ways, this is the toughest NBA championship some team will ever win. Sure, the schedule may be softened if the Kings or Suns make the playoffs or a team like the Wizards makes a run because the Nets have lost half of their roster to COVID. It could also be bad if stars sit out meaningful playoff games because they contract the virus.

But just think about the toll the last few months have had on all of us. This is easily the longest six-month stretch in terms of news, general social dismay and stress upon society writ large. We’re all suffering in some way, whether we’ve caught the virus, just been quarantined for months, or if you’ve been out in public and felt the anxiety that can come with others’ lack of concern. These guys will be in a bubble, sequestered from loved ones and other *ahem* social needs. It’s grueling even if they live in the lap of luxury within their Disney-run bubble.

So yes, I’ll say one thing many people who’ve watched Austin Rivers play have never said before: Austin Rivers is right. I reserve the right to revise my feelings if Westbrook gets the ‘Rona and we actually have to watch Rivers play meaningful minutes for weeks on end.

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