NBA games might look a bit different once the league resumes play, but not much.
One of the biggest questions fans have been asking is whether players and staff will have to don any kind of personal protective equipment for games. And according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, sources say the NBA will implement new rules regarding mask usage once the season restarts.
There will be two rows of benches once games resume. Masks will not be required for those sitting in the first row (though coaches will be encouraged to wear one anyway). Masks will be required for those in the second row, however, unless a player is active.
Refs will not be required to masks, either.
NBA Refs will not be required to wear masks, sources say. https://t.co/jIJLtMWrMG
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2020
The National Basketball Players’ Association on Tuesday circulated a memo detailing some of the health and safety protocols players will have to face once the season resumes. On top of the occasional mask, players only will be allowed to socialize with other players as long as they maintain a proper social distance and are prohibited from visiting other players’ rooms, among several other coronavirus-based restrictions.
