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Unfortunately, the NBA season and teams' success have been curtailed this year by the coronavirus pandemic. At the beginning of the campaign, several sides such as the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors took serious blows to their form as players and staff had to isolate each other. There have been numerous game cancelations and the long-term effects were felt by some of the league's stars.
On Wednesday, Phoenix Suns fans were left holding their breath as Shams Charania of 'The Athletic' reported that their leader Chris Paul had entered the league's protocols. If he is vaccinated, though, the situation becomes a lot less daunting for the franchise.
In this article, we will examine the NBA's rules surrounding coronavirus for the players and staff and what they have been throughout the year.
What are the NBA's current rules regarding the coronavirus pandemic?
Prior to the season, the NBA had to set out rigorous health and safety protocols regarding covid-19. They were deemed harsh at times and caused players to miss additional playing time as they could not train and struggled to get back to game sharpness.
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Before the ball was even dribbled, players had to take daily tests. Training was first done on an individual basis before group activity could begin prior to the training camps opening. If players tested positive or their contract tracing results came back stating they had been in close contact with somebody who had tested positive, they would have to isolate for 10 days.
Things soon got out of hand though and there were several situations when the rules became blurry and players became aggrieved by the confusing circumstances.
A perfect example of this came back at the beginning of February. The Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, who was set to start against the Toronto Raptors. He was then a late scratch, played until the third quarter and was then pulled again from the game. Even with him interacting with teammates and staff in the locker room, the contest was not postponed.
After the All-Star break, as the world got a better grip on the virus, the NBA relaxed some of its rules for individuals who were fully vaccinated. This meant there were fewer mandated tests and there were no quarantine requirements relating to contact tracing issues. Players could have family members and friends visit their homes without testing first.
The NBA recently came under some fire when LeBron James was seen at a party at the end of May. However, they revealed he would not be suspended as the event had been outdoors, therefore he had not violated the rules enough to warrant such a punishment.
With the recent announcement of Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns fans will be hoping he is fully vaccinated and can return as soon as possible. He is facing an 'indefinate' time on the sidelines as it is not yet known when his return date could be. The NBA's Western Conference Finals aren't meant to begin until next week, however it is unlikely he will be available for game one currently.
