Former coach and notable game expert Jeff Van Gundy is known for his hilarious, yet factual statements currently in his tenure as one of the voices of ESPN’s basketball analysis. 

And this recent claim he gave may seem to happen once again upon the implementation of the NBA to safeguard every player and staff from the COVID-19 outbreak and further conclude the challenging 2021-2022 campaign. 

A league bubble. 

During the Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks clash on Wednesday evening, Van Gundy delivered a prediction moving forward this season, saying that the association might consider orchestrating a suspension and a restricted bubble in the future because of the ballooning cases.

“I really feel that at some point there’s gonna be a pause to our season [or] a bubble to our season. The way that they’re predicting these cases to continue to go … I don’t see any way around it.”

– Jeff Van Gundy

A restricted bubble is an identical scheme to execute in the looming threat of the virus, a reminisce to finish the 2019-2020 season. Yet the league remains committed for now to studying the ongoing situation by crafting new guidelines to ensure the safety and availability of every personnel. 

Presently, there are roughly around 70 players in the league, who are under the health and safety protocols, with Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook headlining the list; within the given number, there is already one who contracted the bothering Omicron variant. Meanwhile, coaches, like Indiana Pacers’ Rick Carlisle and Sacramento Kings’ Alvin Gentry, are also out with Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. 

Earlier this week, the Brooklyn Nets decided to play with only eight players within the lineup against Toronto, as half of the team is under quarantine. On the part of the Chicago Bulls with only about five players available, the NBA ultimately decided to postpone and move their upcoming two games. 

While a bubble remains a possible plan B, the league will certainly consider the costly adjustment of moving the season in a designated area — from the logistics, accommodation, and daily expenses. It is true that time will only tell what would happen next, but the notice remains clear: be safe and follow basic rules to help the community from the health crisis.