Mental aspects of return worry some NBA officials
"Several general managers and athletic trainers pointed to a number of players -- though they say it's not a large percentage -- whom they would describe as "germophobes." These team officials say there are several executives and other league staffers in the same position.
"I'm one of them," one veteran front-office executive for a team in postseason contention told ESPN.
Said one Eastern Conference general manager: "I'm not a germophobe, and I'm afraid."
Several team officials said there are players and staffers on their respective teams who fit that "germophobe" description, though none felt comfortable sharing their identities -- and none faulted them for being extremely cautious on that front.
But multiple Western Conference athletic training officials referred to this psychological impact as a powerful added stressor for some players that could no doubt inhibit their ability to perform, even if the NBA was able to create an ideal environment at some point in the near future.
"Some players will have an easier time breaking through that, and other players will have a real challenge with that," one Eastern Conference athletic training official said.
"I just know myself," said the athletic training official for a Western Conference team. "I wouldn't want to work with the [players]. I mean, these are young guys. Some of them, I don't think they think it's real. They're just like, 'Oh, we're thinking too much into it,' but I'm like, 'It's the whole world.'
"And so the tough part is, it's my job to work with the guys. So you don't want to go against the grain, but at the same time, I'm not trying to put my family at risk."