Report: NBA Plans Severe Penalties For Covid Violations, Including ‘Game Forfeitures’

Topline

The NBA is putting coronavirus guidelines in place that includes some draconian sanctions for violations, including the possibility that teams may have to forfeit games, according to ESPN, making it the first major professional sports league to consider that penalty.

Key Facts

Key Background

Unlike the truncated end to last season, which took place inside a “bubble” setting with all teams based out of the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Florida, teams will again play games in their home markets for the 2020-21 season. That means significant, regular travel around the country for all of the NBA’s 30 teams. Teams will play a slightly shortened season of 72 games, compared with their normal 82-game slates. 

Tangent

Leagues like the MLB and NFL did not play their seasons in a bubble, leading to significant disruptions in scheduling. Some of the most significant impacts came over the past week of NFL games. One of the league’s marquee games—the Baltimore Ravens vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers—had to be played on Wednesday afternoon after originally being scheduled for prime time on Thanksgiving. An outbreak among Ravens players led to continued delays, and the team was left without starting quarterback and 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson after placing him on the Cover-19 list. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were left with no quarterbacks after losing all four of the team’s quarterbacks because of Covid for their game against the New Orleans Saints, leading to the bizarre sight of having an inexperienced wide receiver start at quarterback for the Broncos.

What To Watch For

The NBA’s preseason starts on Friday, with the regular season starting Dec. 22. The NBA plans to hold five games on Christmas Day, on a day that traditionally has some of the most widely-anticipated games each season. 

Further Reading

NBA memo warns of sanctions for protocol violations that lead to coronavirus spread (ESPN)

NBA outlines COVID-19 safety protocols in 134-page guide (ESPN)

NBA Season Set To Begin Before Christmas (Forbes)

Ravens At Steelers Picks: Start Time, TV, Stream, Odds, Week 12 Predictions Against The Spread (Forbes)

NFL Coronavirus: Denver Broncos Have No Eligible Quarterbacks, San Francisco 49ers Temporarily Have No Home (Forbes)

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