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NBA restart 'smells a little fishy' to Irving,

LOS ANGELES • Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving was among National Basketball Association ( NBA) players, who on a conference call on Friday night, raised doubts about resuming the season as planned in a "bubble" in Orlando, Florida, according to multiple reports.

ESPN and The Athletic, citing unnamed sources, said that they expressed their misgivings over the tightened health and safety measures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that forced the campaign to shutdown in March.

The NBA is hoping to get going again after a four-month hiatus - reportedly on July 30 - but to do so, it must convince the players the enhanced measures are in their best interests.

Among the major sticking points is that visitors will not be permitted to enter the "bubble" until the end of the first round of the play-offs. That is almost seven weeks after players arrive at the Disney World Resort - tentatively scheduled to be from July 9 to 11.

Players who leave the facility are also set to be subject to a 10-day quarantine period upon their return to the team.

While Irving will play no part in the Nets' post-season bid after undergoing shoulder surgery in March, the All-Star guard has become a leading figure against the season's resumption.

"I don't support going into Orlando," the 2016 NBA champion told The Athletic. "Something smells a little fishy."

In a statement provided to CNN by Dwight Howard's agent, the Los Angeles Lakers centre backed Irving's stance that the season should be curtailed amid the pandemic and the wave of ongoing anti-racism protests in the US.

The 34-year-old said yesterday: "I agree with Kyrie. Basketball or entertainment period isn't needed at the moment and will only be a distraction. Especially with the way the climate is now... no basketball until we get things resolved."

Agents have reportedly warned players they could lose US$1.2 billion (S$1.67 billion) in salaries if the season ends early, but it seems the league has a lot more convincing to do before they agree to come back.

Younger stars like Bam Adebayo, 22, De'Aaron Fox, 22, Kyle Kuzma, 24, Donovan Mitchell, 23, and Jayson Tatum, 22, are also said to be requesting league-financed insurance policies to protect against career-threatening injuries and illnesses.

They are concerned about the extended break, the likelihood of a shortened training camp and the risk of contracting the Covid-19 disease.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS