BEFORE the National Basketball Association (NBA) Bubble, when the latter word came to mind, I thought of that made-for-television film, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, where this boy (inspired by a true story), has to live inside a bubble because of his lack of an effective immune system. By the end of the film, the boy, now a young man, has built up enough immunities to allow him to go out in the world. And he does.
Cut to today, 44 years after that film (and 49 years after the incident that inspired the movie), professional sports leagues have adopted life in a bubble for a tournament with conditions and protocols in place to keep them safe. However, when they go out, the possibility of infection to the Covid-19 virus remains.
For the opening conference of the Philippine Basketball Association’s 45th season, all team officials, players and auxiliaries as well as league officials, were billeted at the Quest Plus Conference Center in the Mimosa Plus estate inside the sprawling former American airbase.
I spoke to Justin Chua of Phoenix Super LPG and Nico Salva of the Meralco Bolts about the experience and this is what both had to say.
“Initially, I was skeptical of the bubble,” Chua admitted. “I wondered how it would be for the duration we were there. They tell you what to expect but only when you experience it for yourself do you understand.”
“I was there for almost two months,” chimed in Salva who was a teammate of Chua’s from 2008-12 at the Ateneo de Manila University where they won five straight University Athletic Association of the Philippines championships. “I was excited to be finally playing basketball when I heard about the bubble. While I was thrilled by this new experience, I also knew it would be a mental battle knowing we will be confined in a small space and won’t have the freedom to go anywhere we wanted.”
One of the biggest adjustments everyone had to make was going from the unrestricted luxury of moving around home to having limitations on movement. ‘I think it is just right given the number of people there and Covid-19 still around,” said Chua.
“I missed my loved ones at home and I always made sure to talk to them on a regular basis,” Salva bared. “’Ayuda days’ in the bubble where once a week where we could get stuff from the outside delivered. It felt like opening Christmas gifts when we opened groceries on ayuda day.”
After the initially Covid-19 testing, all entrees to the bubble were quarantined.
Said Chua, “We could move around only in certain areas like the hallway, the lobby, the swimming pool where every team had its own schedule, and the golf course where one had to reserve a slot two days in advance and play only on Mondays.”
“It was hard to develop a routine because our schedules changed every day,” Salva said. “We had different practice and gym times because this was rotated for all teams. I felt claustrophobic and anxious a lot of times but it got better when the playoffs started as we had more time in the pool and could move around more freely.”
The one constant were the meal times, endless card games and wine time.
“I am impressed with what the PBA and our team did because we were there just to play basketball,” Chua added. “We played basketball, had practice, hit the gym or the pool, had our team meetings, we ate three times a day, and of course, had our bonding sessions.”
Summed up Chua, “Now that I am home, it feels different. Now there needs to be a whole new routine. I once more have to think and fend for myself such as my meals and what to do. Looking back at that almost two months in the bubble, I was surreal, but I totally appreciate everything that the PBA and the team did for us. It is an unforgettable experience.”
“It feels good to be home,” Salva agreed. “I missed home a lot and am happy to be with my family. Though I wish we made it to the finals and had a shot at winning the championship.”