Milwaukee Bucks guard Donte DiVincenzo recently opened up on his thoughts regarding the NBA’s anonymous tip hotline to report wrongdoings.
With the NBA’s bubble plan costing upwards of $150 million to conclude the season, the league will take every precaution to ensure everyone’s safety. One thing that has stirred controversy is the implementation of an anonymous tip hotline where players can report others for violating rules.
Of the many players to comment, Donte DiVincenzo shared his thoughts on the matter from the perspective of the Milwaukee Bucks, as detailed by Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"“I probably won’t use it,” said DiVincenzo. “We’re taking every precaution following all the protocols, so I think we’re worried about ourselves, and we’re not worried about anything else.“We trust the NBA. We trust the protocols in place. We trust ourselves. So, getting into it with other teams, and calling hotlines… I think we’re just policing ourselves to kind of focus in ourselves – and if we follow it, I think we feel good about everything. It’s not about getting into it with other teams.”"
With a potential championship on the line, hearing that DiVincenzo and the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks follow all of the protocols is a welcome sign. Still, while he and the rest of the organization have followed the rules, the hotline has already taken full effect for others.
Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers revealed on Wednesday that someone reported him on the hotline after he went out without a mask, an essential rule. With the remainder of the season hanging in the balance, the league is not going to take anything lightly.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently stated that an outbreak of positive coronavirus tests within the bubble could shut down the season for good this time. Although Howard not wearing his mask might not seem like a significant deal, all it takes is one positive test to start a domino effect before the league finds themselves forced to call off the season.
Many players already shared their displeasure with the idea of this hotline entirely, believing it is unethical. Some have deemed it the “snitch” hotline, but with the season hanging in the balance based on how these players decide to act, players should focus on the bigger picture at hand.
After Howard’s incident, hopefully, the rest of the league follow DiVincenzo’s lead and simply follow the NBA’s rules regarding health and safety. Although various reports have already suggested that multiple players have received warnings for violating the NBA’s terms inside the bubble, Howard has been the only one that has come out publicly and stated it so far.
Hopefully, as players become more accustomed to life inside the league’s campus environment, the NBA will need to hand out fewer warnings and violations. If everyone wears their mask, social distances, and follows all of the other protocols, the chances of the season being finished smoothly will dramatically increase.
DiVincenzo undoubtedly has a point when he states that the Milwaukee Bucks should focus on themselves above other teams, but this is a very trying scenario. Optimistically, let’s hope all teams will operate as the Milwaukee Bucks seem to be doing, and the season will restart on July 31st as planned.