Miami Heat set to enter NBA bubble at Disney on Wednesday. Here’s what to expect next
“New normal” has become a popular term to describe just about every segment of society amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including the NBA.
The Miami Heat began living that “new normal” in May when it opened its AmericanAirlines Arena facility for individual workouts that included physical distancing, masks and temperature checks.
But Heat players and staff begin that “new normal” in earnest Wednesday, when they take a three-plus hour bus ride to the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and enter the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Central Florida. The league has staggered the arrival of the 22 teams participating in the resumption of the season over a three-day window that began Tuesday and ends Thursday.
“I think we all are experiencing a level of anxiety and angst and stress about being away from our families for an extended period of time. That’s normal,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat (41-24) guaranteed to spend at least nearly two months in the Disney bubble since it has already clinched a playoff spot.
Even the bus ride to Disney will be different. Symptom and temperature checks are required for each passenger before boarding, masks will need to be worn for the duration of the trip and empty seats will be scattered throughout the buses to promote physical distancing, according to the NBA’s health and safety manual sent to teams last month.
Upon arrival on the NBA campus, Heat players and staff will need to undergo a COVID-19 test at check-in and then quarantine in their individual hotel rooms before being tested for the virus again at least 24 hours later. Only after those two tests come back negative — during a quarantine that’s expected to last approximately 36-48 hours — will individuals be allowed to exit their rooms and begin workouts inside the bubble.
With the Heat arriving Wednesday, its first team practice since the season was suspended March 11 could come as soon as Friday after players and staff have fulfilled the required quarantine period.
“I’ll probably be able to talk with family and friends over the phone or FaceTime,” Heat rookie Tyler Herro said of bubble life. “Staying in contact with people who aren’t in the bubble will definitely help me get through it.”
The Heat has had at least three players test positive for COVID-19 since mandatory testing began two weeks ago, with forward Derrick Jones Jr. previously testing positive for the virus during tests conducted on June 23. The Miami Herald is not identifying the other two players who both tested positive last week because they have not authorized their names to be released.
Despite this, the Heat still expects to have its full roster of 17 players available when the season resumes. But the two players who tested positive last week will not travel with the team Wednesday and will arrive on the NBA campus at a later date.
Jones was still waiting to be officially cleared to travel with the team as of Tuesday afternoon, but the hope and expectation was he would be on the bus to Disney on Wednesday, according to a league source.
Those Heat players who will not travel Wednesday after testing positive will need to satisfy the league’s criteria for discontinuation of isolation, which is being symptom-free, returning at least two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests more than 24 hours apart and then receiving medical clearance before traveling to Disney.
When arriving on the NBA campus, those players will need to go through the same required quarantine period in their hotel rooms that their Heat teammates will experience this week, a league source confirmed to the Miami Herald. That means returning two negative COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart after arriving at Disney before beginning team activities.
“I think the Orlando thing is kind of simple,” Heat center Kelly Olynyk said of what he expects from the bubble experience. “My family is up in Canada. No friends have been coming really to visit or anything. So it’s not like you’re changing the last four months. You’re kind of doing the same thing, just not in your own house.”
Players and staff entering the bubble will be expected to remain on the NBA campus at all times — other than for a few exceptions — until their seasons are over to protect against the potential spread of COVID-19. If a player leaves the bubble without approval, they will be subject to at least 10 days of quarantining on campus.
Among the other restrictions placed on players inside the bubble: Nobody will be allowed in anyone else’s individual hotel room and individuals will need to wear a mask at all times except for a few exceptions, with COVID-19 testing done regularly.
In addition, player guests are not allowed inside the NBA bubble until late August following the first round of the playoffs. As of now, there is no built-in window for coaches and staff to have their families join them at Disney.
“It’s not something that any of us are looking forward to, whether you have a family or not,” said Spoelstra, who has two sons with his wife, Nikki. “Being away from home, but certainly if you have family and kids, it’s not an ideal situation. But there are so many moving parts with this and you need to make some sacrifices to be able to restart a league in extenuating circumstances. We will try to make it feel as much like home as possible on the road.”
In advance of Wednesday’s trip into the bubble, Heat center Meyers Leonard said he exchanged text messages with Spoelstra on the challenging situation.
“He asked me, ‘How are you feeling about this?’” Leonard recalled. “And I said, ‘Look, man. Let me explain something to you. First, I’m getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball. Let’s start there. Something I love to do anyways. Second, my brother did two nine-month tours in Afghanistan for a lot less pay. We’re going to be there for three or four months, max.’ ... I get it, life isn’t always easy. But what do we really have to complain about?
“I do work with a sports [psychologist]. We’ve been having discussions for months about what this is going to be like, how I’m going to dial in every morning. ... But ultimately, I also want to freaking win.”
In the end, the Heat hopes that common goal carries the team through this unique experience.
“We have to simply come together for one simple goal,” said Leonard, with the Heat opening its eight-game seeding schedule on Aug. 1 against the Denver Nuggets. “If you need something, ask. But we are here to win games, make no mistake about it. Period.”
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 3:01 PM.
