Joe Kinsey
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The NBA has officially released its ‘no side piece’ rules as the Disney bubble begins the process of allowing guests inside the compound that has yet to be compromised. Player families will be allowed inside the bubble and that includes “established longstanding personal friends,” according to a memo ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski got his hands on.
Here’s the ‘no side piece’ rule that’s in that memo. “Any individual the player has not previously met in person or with whom the player has had limited in-person interactions.” That means a person “known by the player only through social media or an intermediary.”
That’s what we in the internet business would call an Instagram model rule or a side piece rule. Call it what you want, NBA commissioner Adam Silver knows this is when the bubble could burst and all it takes is a side piece war. I’ve said it since June, side pieces could burst the NBA bubble and we’re about to find out if Silver’s bubble is one of the best bubbles in sports history.
The Instagram model/no side piece rule is meant to keep out ladies like Ugly Anna. You might remember her as the woman who took to social media bragging about being invited back in July. The real action for the NBA is telling a player he can’t bring a certain lady into the bubble. Who makes that decision? Who researches this stuff? How do you even determine if a player “has had limited in-persona interactions” with a certain lady? This is the best reality show of the summer.
Players will be allowed to bring in family and "established longstanding personal friends," into The Bubble, per memo shared with teams today.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 12, 2020
Player guests can quarantine in team's market for three days, travel to Orlando, and then again for four days; or travel directly to Orlando and quarantine seven days there, per league memo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 12, 2020
Each player is allowed one ticket per playoff game for a guest — plus an additional admission for a child (32 inches and below), per memo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 12, 2020
Among those also NOT allowed as player guests, per memo: "current/prospective staff or business relationships…including agents, trainers, massage/physical therapists, personal chefs and tattoo artists."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 12, 2020
32 inches and below….lol. What a joke!