New NBA Protocols Restrict Guests in Hotels During Road Games

As the NBA insists on continuing their season during a raging pandemic, the league issued new NBA protocols for COVID-19 on Tuesday in an effort to ensure uninterrupted play. NBA players will no longer be allowed to have guests in their hotel rooms while on the road, as one example of the new measures. Of course, this means no more extracurricular activities for the league’s players.

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Via ESPN:

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association on Tuesday reached agreement on several more revisions to policy, including the league further limiting movement for players and staffs on road trips. The league is no longer allowing players and staff to leave hotels for non-team activities, and it is eliminating visitors to hotel rooms, which one GM had told ESPN had been “the Mack truck driving through all our protocols.”

ESPN story with @TimBontemps on NBA tightening Covid-19 protocols amid postponed games and thinning rosters, including the elimination of player guests in hotels: https://t.co/TSgJYWkGhI

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2021

Twitter reacted to the news:

Lmao damn no hoes on the road ???? https://t.co/Ss2UFsG7O9

— ELITE 8 HOGS (@ThaManWatson) January 12, 2021

https://twitter.com/AustinJazzHoops/status/1349108679069593606

Pretty wild to me that they were even allowed guests in the hotel in the first place lol Kind of defeats the entire purpose doesn't it. https://t.co/zl8X1GWA7x

— Shane Seney (@ShugMcSween) January 12, 2021

Most of this sounds like theater, but maybe the player guest thing will make a big difference. https://t.co/wz04709GcO

— Jonathan Lake (@jlluh) January 12, 2021

They was letting them have overnight guest in a pandemic?!?!? https://t.co/WnNV65FKxE

— Big Fish 🦈🦈🦈 (@bigfishcaps) January 12, 2021

The streets gonna be heated. https://t.co/OugMuEG5cz

— ✈️🔥JetFire🔥✈️ (@AubreyLannister) January 12, 2021

https://twitter.com/bmshanahan/status/1349103085008814080

@DanuelHouseJr peep the last part. https://t.co/bGYsLWSIAW

— It Me, NBA Draft Expert™ (@ChampagneChonny) January 12, 2021

https://twitter.com/cecibyrn/status/1349102331208421376

The league issued a full new list of NBA protocols for handling COVID-19 and containing exposures. Additional new rules include:

1. For two weeks players are restricted to their own residences while the team is in their home city. Players must travel only to the arena or exercise facilities both at home and on the road
2. Pregame meetings are limited to 10 minutes and all attendees must wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines
3. Teams must follow a seating plane on team flights to encourage distancing
4. Players cannot arrive at the arena more than three hours ahead of tipoff on game days
5. All players must wear facemasks on the bench at all times
6. Anyone who regularly visits an NBA player or the interior of an NBA player’s home must be tested for COVID-19 at least twice a week

Most of those NBA protocols seem reasonable, but best of luck trying to monitor players having guests in their hotel rooms. Unless they have security posted up at every player’s hotel room. I really miss the old days of the safe COVID-19 free NBA Bubble.

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