There will be no roar of the crowd, no gasps from thousands hanging on every moment. But when the NBA's best take the floor as the restart officially tips off, they'll feel something else — a temporary return to basketball at its essence. (michaelgrange)
As the NBA season finally resumes in what seems to be a sturdy, COVID-free ‘bubble’ on the campus of Walt Disney World Resort, the league’s 140-day wait between league games will finally be over.
Even the most hyped games — opening night is headlined by a Los Angeles Lakers-Los Angeles Clippers match-up that would be the hottest ticket in the NBA’s largest market in normal times — will be played in relative quiet. Players got their first taste of it in three exhibition games this past week. There is no tradition of pick-up baseball among pros and certainly not football. And while off-season hockey training includes plenty of shinny, it’s decidedly non-contact and played with a general agreement to keep the pace up and the tempers down.
The players? They don’t need it — not when games matter. They wouldn’t have made it to the NBA if they did. VanVleet has had to fight for everything in the NBA as an undersized, undrafted free agent, but those instincts were honed early at the YMCA. The best players Philadelphia had to offer would gather in the mornings at Gustine Lake Community Center in East Falls, not far from the edgy streets of North Philadelphia.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Raptors Uprising wins 14th straight to tie pair of NBA 2K League records - Sportsnet.caUnbeaten Raptors Uprising GC tied a pair of NBA 2K League records with its 14th straight win Wednesday
Read more »
Lakers, Pelicans Thursday favourites as NBA season resumes - Sportsnet.caThe Lakers take on the rival LAClippers in a marquee matchup when the NBA returns Thursday night as favourites on the latest odds presented by OddsShark.
Read more »
NBA again records zero positive COVID-19 cases after latest round of testing - TSN.caThe NBA has once again recorded zero positive COVID-19 cases after following their latest round of testing, the NBA and Player's Association announced on Wednesday.
Read more »
7 NBA Restart Questions: Will a Raptors vs. Bucks rematch decide the East? - Sportsnet.caThe NBA's pending resumption is both a reminder that anything is possible and that when the possibilities are endless, the questions are, too. Here are seven unknowns worth considering with Opening Night 2.0 on the horizon.
Read more »