There are a lot of rules for the NBA restart in Orlando — 108 pages of them, written in a font so small it’s hard to read. Social distancing rules, mask-wearing rules, there are rules about where players can eat, rules about social distancing during golf rounds, rules about card games (the cards will be thrown out each night and new decks provided), rules about not playing doubles during ping pong games, and many more. Rules to govern seemingly every aspect of life.
If someone violates one of those rules, there will be an NBA COVID-19 hotline to call and anonymously report them.
Seriously. One of the items listed in that rules handbook for the NBA’s restart is that there will be a COVID-19 violation hotline (Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic had it first).
NBA Twitter had a lot of fun with this one, starting with Kyle Kuzma.
Snitch hotline lol https://t.co/PvSWrEVpbr
— kuz (@kylekuzma) June 17, 2020
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 17, 2020
MLB can’t look each other in the eye and talk. Meanwhile the NBA has details down to a snitch hotline. https://t.co/OqnJyGnAD7
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) June 17, 2020
“Yes, it was Giannis and Kawhi out with no masks. I’m certain of it” https://t.co/he11tmaqer pic.twitter.com/nus9N1SbqT
— Mickstape (@MickstapeShow) June 17, 2020
Some say defense wins championships. Others say colluding to get 21 teams to call the NBA hotline about LeBron wins championships.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) June 17, 2020
Chris Paul — who got a technical called on Jordan Bell for an untucked shirt while walking on the court this season — was another favorite target.
"I saw two players 5 feet, 11 and a 1/2 inches close to each other!" https://t.co/wy3K2Gt8rF pic.twitter.com/rzLT8X76qX
— RingerNBA (@ringernba) June 17, 2020
Chris Paul gonna be like pic.twitter.com/ZRNvArVayx
— Taylor Pate (@taylorlpate) June 17, 2020