"Because I know I'm going to do the right things, I know I don't ever do anything, I only play video games, I'm always home - I don't do anything. But then again, I don't trust those other guys to do the same"
Wednesday 8 July 2020 11:25, UK
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid admits he is opposed to the NBA's bubble restart plan as the 2019-20 season prepares to resume at Disney World in Orlando, Florida later this month.
Teams began to arrive at the resort this week ahead of the opening game on July 30, with the use of a neutral and restricted environment designed to uphold safety measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Florida currently has the third-highest number of positive cases in the United States at roughly 214,000 following a confirmed rise of 7,347 cases on Tuesday.
"I'm not a big fan of the idea," said Embiid. "But then again, I'm going to do my job. I'm not going to let the city down. I'm going to represent my city - that's what I've always done - my family, my teammates.
"The mindset doesn't change. It doesn't matter the fact that I don't like that idea and I still don't believe in it. I don't think it's going to be safe enough.
"Because I know I'm going to do the right things, I know I don't ever do anything, I only play video games, I'm always home - I don't do anything. But then again, I don't trust those other guys to do the same."
While concerned about his own health, Embiid remains committed to playing having seen a number of others pull out of the restart.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley is among those to opt out as a result of his son Liam having a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses.
Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets is another who will not be travelling to Orlando after he tested positive for COVID-19.
"I hated the idea," Embiid added. "I feel like with everything that has been going on, it's unfortunate what's been going on in the world. Obviously people look at it in a different way.
"There might be some other reasons behind everything going on. To me, that part never mattered. To me, all I want is to stay healthy and stay safe, keep the people around me safe.
"I want to make sure I'm able to live for a long time and not have any sort of consequences in the future."
