After the NBA suspended the 2019-20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were concerns about whether the season would be canceled. However, they came up with the radical solution of resuming the campaign inside the infamous NBA Bubble in Orlando, which some players enjoyed and others despised.
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During an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, the retired forward discussed his experience in the bubble with Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell. The guard, who was in his third season in the league in 2020, claimed he had a great time in the bubble, while the 10-time All-Star revealed that he waited with bated breath for it to get over. Mitchell said,
“Those first two years were great in the league and I did a lot. But… I grew up watching him [Melo] so when you’ve got him saying like, ‘Alright, champ. There you go.’ But like, then I’ve to do it again, it ain’t just like you’ve got 57 and that’s it like, nah, I need another one. And on top of that, we lost, so, 57 is cool but we lost.”
He explained that the bubble was a learning experience for him because he was surrounded by great players and it made him hungrier. However, Anthony was in his 17th season in the league, and playing in the closed-off environment wasn’t worth his time and sacrifice. The retired forward said,
“Like he just said he was learning about the business, we fighting the business in the bubble. We really going head-to-head and trying to make this sh*t work.”
Anthony’s experience is in line with how most players felt in the bubble, especially those who spent the most time in it.
NBA players talked about their bubble experience
Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, who left the bubble as an NBA champion, detailed his difficult experience in an interview with USA Today. He said,
“Being in the bubble kind of felt like prison. You couldn’t leave. We only ate about three or four of the same meals every single day for three months, and we didn’t see family. So that was really tough.”
The isolating restrictions also took a toll on a few players’ mental health. Kevin Love, who has been an advocate for players’ mental wellness, became a confidant for stars in the bubble, as they shared their struggles with him over phone calls. He said,
“I had a number of players in the bubble reach out to me and say, ‘I’m feeling helpless and hopeless that I can’t take care of myself, a family member or a friend.’ I had a better feel for it…You can talk about the protocols, and you can have Zoom calls until you’re red in the face. But until you actually go through it, you don’t know what to expect.”
The bubble delivered terrific action on the court. However, off it, it was an arduous experience for everyone in it.
