The Bubble Experiment: How the NBA’s Bubble Restart Can Help Heal Our Country

300 of the world’s greatest athletes blocked off from the rest of society in Orlando’s Walt Disney complex sounds more like the plot of a gimmicky reality TV show than the plan of return for the National Basketball Association. Nonetheless, following a four-month hiatus, the NBA season officially resumes on July 30th in the Walt Disney compound, often referred to as “the bubble”. Given the state of the nation today, with calls for social justice and a need for unity, the NBA bubble certainly can aid in enacting change. Through players’ statements and successful brand marketing, expect the NBA bubble to not only provide entertainment through sports but also boost levels of social awareness and potentially aid in economic relief.

There are an abundance of safety guidelines to ensure the players are safe and healthy throughout their bubble experience. On July 9th, teams began arriving at the bubble, where each player self-isolated for two days and could not leave their lovely Mickey Mouse suites until two negative COVID-19 tests were produced. Once freed from their hotel rooms, players must wear masks inside the building at all times and are subject to nightly tests. Additionally, if a player were to leave the Disney premises, they would have to quarantine for at least ten days upon their return. The athletes still get to enjoy some of the park’s pleasures, however, as there are designated “player’s lounges” where they can play cards and video games. Players also have access to swimming pools, nature trails and golf courses. The NBA has been far more stringent with their health protocols than other returning sports leagues like the MLB. Compared to baseball, basketball players are more often in close proximity to one another and all touch the same ball countless times; thus, a COVID infected player could easily spread the disease to many people very quickly. So far, the health precautions taken by NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of his staff seem to be successful, as they released information that as of July 21st no player has tested positive since July 13th.

The NBA has long been considered a relatively progressive league, as they were the first male-dominated national sports league to advocate for, and successfully integrate, female assistant coaches and referees. More recently, players have already used the large platform to shed light on the status of the police officers in the case of Breonna Taylor, a 26 year old black woman who was murdered by police officers when they barged into her apartment on March 13th in what has been described as a “botched raid”.  Multiple players have refused to answer media questions until justice is served for Breonna, including Philadelphia 76er Tobias Harris who stated “we want to make sure that [Kentucky Attorney General] Daniel Cameron will arrest the cops and officers involved with Breonna Taylor’s death. And that’s all I’ve got to say”. The league has also decided to allow players to wear approved social justice-themed messages on their jerseys, showcasing their advocacy to millions of viewers during televised games. There are twenty-nine total approved messages including “I Can’t Breathe”, “Justice Now”,  “Black Lives Matter”, and “Say Their Names” among others.  Additionally, former NBA player Dwayne Wade has teamed up with current players Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony to create a social change fund. Paul explained that the fund’s mission “is to address socio-economic injustice issues facing black communities by making meaningful change”. Clearly, NBA players are not shying away from the spotlight in using their platform to raise awareness and help invoke change to bring equality for society. The increased awareness of these social movements on a national stage should certainly help generate momentum and hopefully lead to meaningful change.

Sports have had a history of being able to successfully use their platforms to raise awareness and accelerate change regarding social issues.  Over time, sports have been seen as a vehicle in spreading awareness and positive messages in ways that politicians often cannot. One example of this is how professional sports were able to spread positive awareness and help reduce the stigma associated with being HIV positive. Magic Johnson, a former NBA player and hall-of-famer, was diagnosed with the disease in 1991 and has been a huge advocate in raising awareness ever since. Since then he has donated millions of dollars and countless hours to charities in efforts to raise awareness and provide funding for AIDS research. A study conducted at the University of Liverpool claims that sports often have more power to raise awareness than political efforts, as they can more easily connect with generations young and old (Levermore). Therefore, in this period of unease, athletes taking proper health precautions by wearing masks and advocating for social justice on a national scale should inspire younger and older generations alike.

The bubble restart also presents a great marketing opportunity for many brands to gain new customers and increase US consumption levels. With live sports returning to a national audience, expect there to be many new ad campaigns that use their platforms to spread positive messages regarding adapting to the “new-normal” or even campaigns centered around the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only do these types of ads spread positivity and raise awareness but they have also proved to be successful. A recent study conducted by consumer insight specialists at AC Nielsen found that simply adding COVID-related brand awareness to ad campaigns positions companies better for success in winning over new customers (Nielsen). Similarly, the study found that 72% of consumers cited a company’s efforts in helping people affected by COVID-19 as a reason they’d consider a specific brand (Nielsen). Thus, the NBA bubble restart presents a huge national stage for brands to showcase new innovative campaigns to win over consumers with their relevance and relatability and, consequently, help drive US consumption.

Everyday aspects of our lives continue to change as we adapt to the times and the NBA seems to be no different. As odd as the NBA community being quarantined in the Walt Disney complex may sound, if all goes to plan, it should provide a safe environment for the NBA to resume their season, as well as help unite our country in its recovery.

Works Cited:

COVID-19: Tracking the impact on media consumption. (2020, June 16). Nielsen Global Connect. https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/covid-19-tracking-the-impact-on-media-consumption/ 

Levermore, R. (2008). Sport: A new engine of development? Progress in Development Studies, 8(2), 183-190.