THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH
FOUR MONTHS after the NBA became the first North American professional sports league to close its doors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Association is back. Despite the chaos of the times, the NBA and the players’ union agreed to reconvene at Walt Disney World for an eight-game addendum to the interrupted campaign, two potential play-in tournaments and a (relatively) traditional postseason.
A total of 22 teams saw their playoff aspirations renewed with the decision to return: the top 8 from each conference back when the League stood still and an additional half dozen that were within six games of sneaking in. The remaining eight teams will watch like the rest of us, from the comfortable confines of self-isolation.
The ambitious bubble plan, including a March Madness-esque carousel of games through the first two weeks of August, gives teams and players an opportunity to take care of their unfinished business. It gives
