Disney World: Tips & Treats From The NBA Bubble
It’s been a bit since I heard the term, NBA bubble. After all, the bubble is about to burst with the end of the NBA Finals. But in the meantime, tales from the pro basketball’s cloistered existence at Walt Disney World continue to surface.
Two really nice stories from the NBA’s time at WDW come in the guise of “Tips and Treats.”
Read on my friends.
Firstly, Rocketswire.usatoday.com brings us the note:
Russell Westbrook left $8,000 tip to thank ‘bubble’ housekeepers
Ben DuBose wrote:
Russell Westbrook. Image: USA Today.
Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook reportedly left an $8,000 tip for housekeepers at the Grand Floridian hotel, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Townsend was one of a small number of reporters actually on-site in Florida for many of the NBA’s games.
“Moreover, I’m told, he left the room virtually spotless,” Townsend said of the nine-time NBA All-Star and 2017 MVP.
Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks spoke to Westbrook, who confirmed that he left a generous tip and a letter of appreciation. “They took great care of us,” Westbrook told Rooks. “Took the time and energy to do their job at a high level. That was the right thing. I like to do the right thing.”
And, on Twitter, the NBA Players Association posted:
Before @russwest44 left Orlando, he left a little surprise for the bubble staff. 🗞⤵️https://t.co/mWmB1m8KDa
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) October 6, 2020
How cool is that?
Meanwhile, Business Insider tweeted:
How chefs in the NBA bubble make 4,000 meals a week
How chefs in the NBA bubble make 4,000 meals a week pic.twitter.com/7mBrFDBPNh
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) October 6, 2020
- In July, the National Basketball Association launched the NBA bubble, a COVID-free isolation zone at Walt Disney World.
- To feed the teams, the NBA brought in 10 chefs, including Alexia Grant, aka Chef Lex, who’s previously cooked for the Portland Trail Blazers, Oprah Winfrey, and Meek Mill.
- Chef Lex whips up Southern and Caribbean comfort food for players from teams such as the Miami Heat, LA Lakers, and Boston Celtics.
- Business Insider follows Chef Lex to see why cooking inside the quarantine zone isn’t easy.
- She can’t leave the bubble or shop for her own food, and she has to rely on runners to deliver her meals to players in the inner bubble.
Image Credit: Disney/NBA
But, perhaps the MOST important news from the bubble comes (again) from RocketsWire:
Thanks in large part to their hard work and dedication to protocols, it appears that NBA players and staff will make it more than three months at the bubble without a single positive coronavirus test.
