Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA Bubble was a huge success at Walt Disney World out in the Orlando, Florida area.
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🍀Joined by 2008 champion Scot Pollard
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The coronavirus pandemic halted NBA play on March 11 and the league resumed play on July 30 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
22 NBA teams competed to fill the league’s 16-NBA playoff spots in both the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences.
While positive press has been the NBA’s calling card throughout the whole NBA bubble, retired NBA player, Scot Pollard reveals that there were some close calls and/or safety concerns in the bubble.
“There were some things that didn’t get made public but really 100% happened and they’re pretty wild stories,” Pollard told NBA reporter Adam Taylor on the Celtics Blog Podcast.
“This is a story [that] involved a rental of a house on the golf course and supposedly some were sneaking out to that house they rented to go hang out and have a good time. Another story, is one team particularly hired a new massage therapist, that may, or may not have, been a legitimate massage therapist.”
Pollard didn’t stop there.
“Another one involved a lake and a player that wanted to go swim across the lake,” he said.
“I guess there were some girls across that lake or something. And that player ignored the fact there were alligators in that lake. And that player was told by someone else: ‘Hey man watch this’ and someone threw something in the water and an alligator popped up and got it. And he was like: ‘Oh.’ Like he didn’t know there were Aligators in that lake.
“We could have had some really bad stories come out of the NBA bubble, had any one or all of these stories had become public.”
Well…they public knows now!
An eleven-year NBA career, Scot Pollard played for five NBA teams including the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Pollard spent the bulk of his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers and is most known for his role as a solid backup to center Vlade Divac. He’d often start at power forward when Kings teammate, Chris Webber was injured.
LOS ANGELES – APRIL 10: Scot Pollard #31 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 4, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 117-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
The 19th overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Pollard was also known for his unique hairstyles while playing in the NBA. He’d wear ponytails and mowhawks. He also painted his fingernails.
Now retired from basketball, Pollard is a successful realtor in Carmel, Indiana.
The NBA had no serious accidents in the bubble and the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned this season’s NBA Finals champions after defeating the Miami Heat in six games.Lakers star, LeBron James was named the 2020 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and as a four time NBA Champion, the Akron, Ohio native holds the distinction of winning championships with three different teams: the Miami Heat (2), Cleveland Cavaliers (1) and the Lakers (1).
Teammate, Anthony Davis was potent for the Lakers, as well. A seven-time NBA All-Star and first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Davis, 27, averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks in the regular season.