Clippers will reopen their team practice facility Monday
Starting Monday, the Clippers are reopening their Playa Vista practice facility for the first time in two months to allow players to conduct limited and voluntary workouts, as well as rehabilitation and physical wellness activities, a person not authorized to publicly discuss the plan told the Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers are the latest NBA team to reopen their facility in recent days, as stay-at-home orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic have eased across the country. Portland and Cleveland were first, with Utah, Orlando, Miami following soon after. The Lakers reopened their facility in El Segundo on Saturday.
NBA rules allow for a maximum of four players inside the facility at one time, with each player allowed to work with one coach, according to NBA rules, and no head coach or assistant coaches can participate. Even with such restrictions in place, the workouts have been considered as important for players’ mental well-being as much as their physical conditioning.
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Still, for many Clippers — and nearly all of the team’s players have remained in Southern California — they’ll be back on the court for first time since the NBA suspended its season March 11. Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, said in early April that “very few” players had access to a hoop while staying at home.
With players largely confined to their homes, the team had compensated by shipping players exercise equipment and holding group workouts via video chat. The Clippers, who had the second-best record in the Western Conference, behind the Lakers, at the time of the NBA shutdown, have adopted “win the wait” as their mantra of choice during the hiatus and have found different ways to keep players engaged beyond group workouts. Celebrities and athletes including Chris Rock, Michael Phelps, Mike Tyson, Larry David and Peyton Manning have spoken with team members virtually, coach Doc Rivers said Friday, during an appearance in a virtual NBA leadership conference.
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