The 2020 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the NBA isn’t letting anything come in the way of the upcoming finals. By isolating its players within the “Disney Bubble”, the 40-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the league is taking all precautions to ensure the playoffs go off without a hitch.

The NBA playoffs are an annual sports and entertainment phenomenon, with upwards of 15 million Americans tuning in each year to see the top team from each conference match up against each other in a showdown of skill rarely seen in sports. To make the finals, a team must prove itself worthy by beating seven of the best teams in their conference in a bracket tournament known as the playoffs.

This year, two Floridian teams, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic qualified for the playoffs. The Magic didn’t fare too well, losing 4-1 in their series against the number one ranked team in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Heat, on the other hand, convincingly beat their round one opponent, the Indiana Pacers, in a 4-0 series. They continued on to the Eastern Conference semifinals where the Heat, the underdogs of the match, defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in a 4-1 series. Now in the conference finals, the Heat has a shot of making the NBA finals for the first time in 8 years. They will need to beat the Boston Celtics in the conference finals in order to qualify for the NBA finals. This is no easy feat, but the team looks strong and despite having no in-person audience, there are tens of thousands of Floridians rooting for them each game.

Millions of fans watch each game admiring the showcase of talent and grit taking place on these courts. Paw Print spoke to one of these fans, varsity basketball player Christian Geter ‘23, to hear his opinions on this year’s playoffs and the Disney Bubble.

“It’s just like watching any other basketball game. I’m really glad the NBA went through the effort to set up the Bubble. So many things are getting canceled and I’m glad the playoffs aren’t one of them.”

Truly, the Bubble and its arenas, set up with features such as 17-foot “fan screens,” which allow games to have virtual bleachers full of cheering fans, were massive logistical undertakings brought upon by the NBA. These expensive efforts to keep the game going will surely be worth it as millions of fans tune in to the NBA finals, starting on September 30th.