The plan was as audacious as it was expensive ($170 million, at least). It was drawn up in the darkest days of the pandemic, when little was known and nothing was certain, other than the NBA’s unflinching desire to do everything possible to finish the season it had started.
Now, here it is, set for a Thursday opening night, live from Walt Disney World, live from the NBA bubble, live from this social, sport and scientific experiment. It’s part hoops, part Hunger Games, part megastars and millionaires passing the isolation with pingpong and fishing poles.
Now here comes not just an NBA playoffs like none other, but perhaps the best chance for a major North American team sport to stage a legitimate championship this year.