Like they did with the Walt Disney World bubble, the NBA wants to be ahead of the game in terms of stopping the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the middle of their season.
They were one of the first to shut down operations when the pandemic began, and they’ve been consistently praised for their handling of a difficult situation. Commissioner Adam Silver and other NBA leadership were seen in even higher regard when the MLB and NFL both struggled to contain the virus in any meaningful way.
Both leagues had significant team-wide outbreaks that led to the postponement of many games and teams being forced to play games with major parts of their roster missing.