The NBA restart on Thursday night made fans and everybody feel really excited.  Finally, the NBA is back – fans wanted it and players wanted it, too. The players are all together in a bubble at Walt Disney World, Orlando, isolated in order to be safe from coronavirus.  The NBA reboot was an awesome, momentous evening for many who were waiting anxiously for this day to arrive.

The NBA Reboot Gets Off On The Right Foot

Due to the COVID-19 the season was forced to take break like the rest of the sports leagues in the US, but the wait was worth it for the fans.  Two games were played with the reboot, the LA Lakers against the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz against the New Orleans Pelicans.  Both games were the epitome of outstanding basketball.

All players, coaches and referees knelt down when the National Anthem was played as a sign of respect and to remember all the tragic events that have occurred recently.  Everybody also wore a t-shirt with the message “Black Lives Matter,” with the purpose of reminding people the relevance of social and racial justice that every citizen in the country deserves.  One of the most poignant messages referred to Breonna Taylor, who was an emergency medical technician shot and killed by police in Kentucky.

The Lakers And Clippers Deliver

The reboot game between the Lakers and Clippers was one of the most anticipated NBA games ever.  In the beginning, both teams were a bit rusty, but they developed a faster rhythm throughout the game that would take things down to the wire. The Lakers had a small advantage with just two minutes left when, Paul George of the Clippers scored and narrowed the gap to 99-98.  Then, LeBron James scored a layup, and George nailed a three-pointer to tie the game.  It really turned competitive as the clocked ticked away with only 29 seconds left.

Even though King James didn’t have a spectacular performance as usual, he succeeded in scoring a shot that gave the Lakers the victory with only seconds left.  LeBron was fundamental on both offense and defense throughout the game, and his efforts with the final buzzer approaching were relentless.  With the score at 103-101, he forced Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard to give up the ball in a terrific defensive play, leading George to recover it and try for a buzzer-beater from outside that would have won the game.  Again, LeBron showed that he is a vital element to his team, and his pressure on George kept the ball out of the net, leading to a Lakers victory.

The Jazz Jazzed Up The Courts

The NBA reboot game between the Jazz and the Pelicans saw a lot of the same action.  Rudy Gobert, the Jazz center who was the first player in the league to be diagnosed with COVID-19, was on fire – perhaps to atone for his diagnosis.  The game went back and forth before the Jazz launched a 14-point comeback to take the lead, catapulted by two Gobert free throws.  With the score now 106-104 and the clock almost done, the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram tried to hit from beyond the paint and missed, giving the Jazz the win.

The NBA Action Will Get Hotter After Reboot

Fans can expect more games like this one, but, of course, away from the court because the league is required to follow strict restrictions like having no fans in attendance.  This might sound as an inflexible policy, but the spread of the virus is threatening at the moment.  The NBA wants to keep all players safe and ensure protection for all personnel involved as well – the MLB drama shows why it’s important.

These restrictions are not going to last forever.  The projections are encouraging because no player has tested positive since the Disney facility opened three weeks ago.  Having players in a bubble away from other human interactions seems to have worked out.

Real Fan-like Games With No Real Fans

The NBA is using technology for the league reboot in a way to recreate normal games with fans inside the camps.  The atmosphere for the restart games are like PlayStation video games – the courts are surrounded by video boards with fans that supposedly were attending the contests.  Technology can do wonders when extreme changes are taken.  In the livestream, fans were able to hear coaches shouting instructions, hear players talking nonsense, Kawhi telling LeBron that he got “all ball,” and many more things.

The situation will be the same in the next months, but there is no reason to feel disappointed.  The season is back, and that is one of the most important things now for both players and fans.  At least fans can watch the games from their homes and cheer again.  The players are in a state that has become the hotspot of the pandemic, but, although the country is facing a drastic health crisis, there is still a lot of room for sports and fun.