After opting out of bubble, Bradley ready to play again

MIAMI (AP) — Avery Brley still has serious concerns about coronavirus, particularly because one of his children has struggled with respiratory illnesses.

Those concerns kept him from NBA’s restart bubble. y won’t keep him from this season.

Brley has finalized his new contract with Miami Heat — team he would have faced off against in NBA Finals h he gone to bubble at Walt Disney World this summer with his previous team, Los Angeles Lakers. And when Heat open camp next week in vance of Dec. 22 start of regular season, Brley said he’ll be rey.

“I mean, this is new rmal,” said Brley, who wore a mask for his first media session as a member of Heat on Tuesday — a call held over Zoom. “My decision right w is to just focus on playing. That’s my focus. I feel like everyone has a better idea of this virus; obviously, re’s still some unkwns. But my decision t to go to bubble just was about impact on my family.”

Brley and his wife sat down this past June, weighed pros and cons, and he ultimately decided t to take risk. Lakers beat Heat for NBA title in six games; Lakers also gave Brley ir blessing to exercise his right to t play, something that league and National Basketball Players Association agreed was an appropriate option to offer players before going to bubble.

This season won’t be held in a bubble. Teams will be on planes, in hotels, playing ro games again. re will be risks, though league is still working on health and safety protocols that will be designed to mitigate those risks as much as possible.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a unique start of this season and some new things that we’re going to have to get used to, but I’m rey for it,” Brley said. “We’re just going to try to navigate through it as best as we can.”

Miami becomes Brley’s sixth team. 6-foot-3 guard — who turns 30 on Thanksgiving Day — averd 8.6 points for Lakers last season and is a career 11.8-points-per-game scorer through his first 10 seasons.

He has viewed Miami as place he’d like to play for some time.

“We all kw what it means to be a Miami Heat player, passion and dedication it takes to be a part of this culture,” Brley said. “And I always felt like if I ever got an opportunity to play here, n I would fit in perfect. ... It’s here w, and I’m going to make sure I take vant of it. I’m prepared and I’m excited about it because I do feel like a perfect fit.”

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