Video game crowd noise and other minor details regarding NBA's plan to restart 2019-20 season

On3 imageby:Zack Geoghegan06/05/20

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German soccer leagues are pumping in crowd noises, so why shouldn't the NBA do the same thing with sounds from NBA 2K? It's reportedly being considered... After the NBA's Board of Governors voted on Thursday to approve a 22-team format to resume the 2019-20 season, the Players Association agreed to the terms during a conference call on Friday. According to multiple sources, several minor details were leaked during Friday's call. https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1269019745799548939 Here is everything that The Athletic's Shams Charania reported:
  • A plan to play 2-to-3 exhibition games before regular season
  • 1,600 maximum people on campus
  • Coronavirus testing every day; minimum seven days of quarantine for a player who tests positive
  • Players and family must stay inside the bubble; families can enter after the first round
  • If a player contracts the virus, the NBA says they plan to continue playing
  • The NBPA told players 2020-21 season starting on Dec. 1 is “unlikely” and plans to negotiate the date
  • NBPA will conduct coronavirus testing every night, likely mouth swabs/light nasal swabs and not the full invasive nasal swab
  • Minimum seven days quarantine for a player if positive.
  • There could be crowd noise via NBA 2K video game sounds, but the NBA and NBPA is still discussing creative opportunities
  • Players are expected to return to full paychecks this summer, after taking a 25 percent reduction in May
  • There is a proposed 35-person travel party limit
  • There is an expected three-hour practice window for teams, with two courts and weight rooms in the convention center
The bullet points that I've put in bold are the ones that stand out to me the most. Obviously, pumping in crowd noise from a video game is the most ridiculous item listed. However, Sky Sports is reportedly working with the popular FIFA video game to incorporate crowd sounds into future Premier League soccer matches, so why shouldn't the NBA do the same with their video game counterpart? I've actually watched a couple of Bundesliga (German soccer league) matches and even with a visibly empty crowd, the pumped-in noises made it feel completely normal. I can't say that it'll be the same for the NBA (considering they're going to play in much smaller arenas) but honestly, I'm not against it at all. The next point I want to make is that I think we all knew the idea of starting the 2020-21 season on Dec. 1 was a massive longshot. A six-week-long turnaround from the end of the NBA Finals to the start of next season is far too quick, even for the world's top athletes. It initially felt like the Dec. 1 date was established just because they needed to set a date for it and that appears to be the case. Lastly, the testing has always and will always be the key to making this as safe as possible. If the league can actually test every single person at the end of every night, then that's a huge factor. This is the only way they can accurately know who they need to keep in what location. If a player contracts the coronavirus, they'll be sent to a quarantined area and the league will not stop play. The players won't even be allowed to roam the Disney World park, which is probably a safe idea. https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1269018307425980416 The NBA will resume the 2019-20 season on July 31 after not playing since March 11 when Utah Jazz center Rudy Govert tested positive for coronavirus, suspending the league indefinitely. The latest date that an NBA Finals Game 7 could happen is on Oct. 12 with the NBA Draft taking place a few days later on Oct. 15. What are your thoughts on the NBA potentially pumping in video game crowd noises? For those of you that have regularly played 2K, does it make you more or less excited? It's not a finalized idea quite yet, but other professional sports leagues are doing the same thing. Don't be too surprised if it comes to fruition.

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2024-03-28