Report: Players Association Sends NBA Players ‘Health And Safety Manual’ Prior To Season Restart

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) sent NBA players a health and safety manual ahead of the league’s proposed restart of the 2019-20 season, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.

Currently, the NBPA and NBA are negotiating for the 22 teams to finish the regular season in a bubble environment at Disney World in Orlando, Florida beginning on July 30.

Games will reportedly be played at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

In a memo obtained by Charania, the NBPA stated the following to its players:

“It is critical that every player understand that he has the right to choose not to return to play. Any player who exercises this right will not be disciplined.

The health and safety manual is reportedly being developed with help from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Players Association, Disney, and other health officials and medicals experts helping the league.

According to the memo obtained by Charania, the NBA’s restart and completion of its season will take place across six phases from June 12-October 13. The first phase of the proposed resumption of play is currently taking place and will reportedly run until June 22.

Additional Details Of NBA’s Proposed Restart

Charania also reported that the league has already designed specific hotels for each of the 22 franchises participating in the completion of the season.

The NBA has reportedly assigned Disney hotels to those teams based on seeding.

According to Charania, the Utah Jazz will stay at the Gran Destino Tower, which is a part of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

Part of the bubble environment will include hotel amenities, 24-hour VIP concierge, and other entertainment, Charania tweeted.

NBA players will reportedly be allowed to “attend other games” as well.

In NBA's ORL campus:

– Hotel amenities: players-only lounge (NBA 2K, TVs, gaming), pool/trails, barbers, manicurists, pedicurists
– 24-hour VIP concierge
– Daily entertainment: Movie screenings, DJ sets, video games, ping pong, pool, lawn games
– Players can attend other games

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020

Charania posted that the NBA told all 30 teams that “a central goal” of the league’s restart would be to “utilize the NBA’s platform to bring attention and sustained action to issues of social injustice.”

NBA has informed all 30 teams of this entering 2019-20 resumption: "A central goal of our season restart will be to utilize the NBA's platform to bring attention and sustained action to issues of social injustice…" pic.twitter.com/qfrRms88Hi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020

Since late May, many of the league’s players have been vocal on issues of racial injustice and police brutality.

On May 25, George Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Since his death, protests against racism, inequality, and police brutality have occurred worldwide. Many NBA players have participated in those protests.

Some players, including Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving and Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard, have questioned whether returning to play this season would detract from the efforts being put forth against racism, inequality, and police brutality.