The NBA is trying to curb the spread of COVID-19 by applying heavy restrictions on players when they are playing on the road.
While there is no doubt that a certain level of caution is necessary during this difficult time, Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem has an issue with the level of strictness that the NBA is applying.
“I don’t think locking up in a room for 24 hours just coming out to play basketball is mentally healthy,” Haslem said. “I need to go out and take a walk because there are things that can pile up that have nothing to do with the game of basketball. And you’re saying that I can’t even go take a walk? I don’t think that’s right. Even in the bubble, you can go take a walk and get some fresh air.”
The Heat are no strangers to the new restrictions handed down by the NBA. Recently, star big man Bam Adebayo was denied when he and Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving tried to swap jerseys after a game.
Irving did succeed in gifting his jersey to Adebayo after a different game, however.
As for Haslem, he certainly has a point. While the league rightfully wants its players to be careful, it does not seem right that it should come at the expense of mental health.
Still, it is unclear what the league could do differently as it looks to find a safe and healthy way to continue to 2020-21 season.
COVID-19 has completely altered what people all over the world consider to be a normal way of living. For Haslem, it looks like he is still struggling to accept the current situation.
