Adebayo thinking about financial future as NBA restart looms

Bam Adebayo thinks injuries could be more prevalent than usual when NBA gets back on floor next month, given demands that will be on players’ bodies after a long layoff.

Miami’s All-Star center is also thinking about financial risks.

Adebayo confirmed Tuesday that he is among five players — a group who could soon graduate from rookie contracts to extensions worth in excess of $100 million — seeking assurances from NBA about if y’ll be protected in case of catastrophic injury when season resumes at Disney campus near Orlando, Florida.

“Our whole thing was, ‘Look, we’re all due for extensions and we want to make sure that going into this bubble we are safe and we don’t get hurt,’” Adebayo said. “If we get hurt, we still have some backups ... something in back pocket that ensures that we still get paid.”

Adebayo said he, Utah’s Dovan Mitchell, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Los Angeles Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma met with union last week with hopes that league will pick up at least majority of tab for what would be a very costly policy against ir future earnings.

National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts said Tuesday she is optimistic that re will be some sort of decision that satisfies players.

“Those are still ongoing discussions with league, but re’s question Bam and ors in that situation are concerned about this,” Roberts told Associated Press. “se are issues that are part of world that we live in and ... se circumstances are unique; he hasn’t played in a while and we have this virus. So, because of unique circumstances, we are working with league to get Bam and or players assurances that y are going to be protected.”

cost of such a policy for three months — which would cover period in which those players get to Disney-ESPN complex through end of NBA Finals — is expected to be at least $400,000, a person with direct kwledge of talks told AP. person spoke on condition of anymity because those details have t been revealed publicly.

Adebayo intends to play when season resumes eir way, adding that he and Mitchell, Tatum, Fox and Kuzma will likely discuss matter furr.

“Our ultimate goal is to play,” Adebayo said. “So, I don’t want anybody thinking, ‘If y don’t get ir insurance, y’re t playing.’ , we want to play. That’s whole point. We want to play and give our teams best chance of winning a championship. But at end of day we’re also thinking about our families and our lives and how y could change if we get hurt.”

By time games resume on July 30, it will have been more than 4-1/2 months since league has seen a real contest. NBA suspended its season March 11 because of pandemic, and players couldn’t resume even voluntary on-court workouts for about two months. team can resume full-scale practices until arrivals at Disney.

Adebayo does t think three weeks of training camp at Disney will be eugh to get ready for resumption of season, which is why he predicts injury rates will climb.

“I hope body gets injured, but I think a lot of people will get injured,” Adebayo said.

Im credits: AP