The NBA season is set to resume later this month with the Los Angeles Lakers heading to the “bubble” at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday.
While the Lakers are entering what should be a safe location, the same cannot be said for their city as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to rise in L.A. County, forcing California Gov. Gavin Newson to begin closing down some businesses again.
If the county and country as a whole want to get back to normal life as soon as possible, following the guidance of elected officials and health experts is of the utmost importance.
In his latest press conference, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke about the current state of the county and urged people to continue social distancing, comparing it to the Lakers’ triangle offense that former head coach Phil Jackson made famous:
“As one of our leading infectious disease experts, Dr. Kim Farley at UCLA has said and I shared this with you last week but I want to repeat it, the only way to open the economy is to do it gradually and then dial things back if the disease spreads and risks overwhelming our hospitals. That’s exactly what happened last week. With a surge in cases, we dialed things back, the Governor closed bars and shut down indoor dining.
“We know so much more about this disease today than we did in March when it first hit us. That means we can make targeted interventions to stop the spread of this novel coronavirus. But making sure we don’t have to go farther and close more businesses, requires an individual commitment from each and every one of us. From businesses and the people of L.A.
“Businesses, I’m asking for your help. Follow the City protocol, protect your employees, protect your customers, protect our economy and protect lives. … There’s no excuse to break the rules. Period. Offices should only open if teleworking is not an option. Now is not the time to return to crowded indoor workplaces. In fact, the three Cs are the things we should all avoid: crowds, confined environments and close contact. We all know that.
“I had a great person share with me — for the basketball fans out there — the Lakers’ triangle offense. If you’re too close, make a triangle between you and other folks. Make that six feet on each side and make sure you’re abiding by it.”
While people in L.A. have struggled following the rules, most are familiar with the triangle offense, so that could give them a good visual moving forward.
Lakers fans may not be able to watch postseason games in person, but there’s no doubt they will be cheering their team on from home as they look to win their 17th championship in Orlando.
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