The NBA sent out the initial three-day practice schedule with the OKC Thunder starting July 10th
On Wednesday, July 8th the OKC Thunder players and travel party got on their team plane and headed to Orlando.
Upon arrival, the group headed to Walt Disney World and the section that is closest to ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The group took their mandatory COVID-19 tests and checked into the Grand Floridian in their individual rooms where they’ll remain for the next 48 hours under quarantine.
As T.I. noted previously the Thunder is one of eight teams housed in the Grand Floridian. The other teams are the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Assuming everyone produces two negative COVID-19 tests (taken 24 hours apart) in the next 48 hours they’ll enter into the next phase of Disney bubble life.
Practice schedules for July 9-11: pic.twitter.com/4XJ4K8HUm3
— Brady Trantham (@BradyDoesSports) July 8, 2020
OKC Thunder practice schedule
There are seven different practice sites set up in the bubble. Those individual courts are:
- Coronado 1
- Coronado 2
- Coronado Fiesta
- Contemporary
- Arena NE Pavilion
- Arena NW Pavilion
- Visa Center
Since there are 22 teams it makes it a necessity for teams to be allotted specific practice times. For the initial stages, the NBA has allotted practice times starting today (July 9th). Notably, teams can only begin to practice once they’ve produced two negative tests.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Hence why the teams on the schedule today are the clubs who arrived in the bubble on the 7th. Likewise, the Thunder and teams who arrived yesterday (July 8th) can begin practicing tomorrow and finally, the last group of teams who’ll arrive today can start practicing on Friday, Saturday the 11th.
The OKC Thunder are scheduled on July 10th in the Arena NW Pavilion for 5:00 to 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. On Saturday, July 11th they will practice in the Visa Center from 2:00 to 5:00 PM EST.
The OKC Thunder will play their first scrimmage against the Boston Celtics on July 24th (click here for the full Thunder scrimmage schedule). The team’s first game in the restart is against the Utah Jazz on August 1st (click here for the full eight-seeded restart schedule of Thunder).
The full three-day schedule is noted above in the tweet from Brady Trantham. This schedule indicates the practice times will shift as the full schedule is released.
It’s unclear if these sessions will have any associated broadcast although unlikely given the technical semantics associated. More likely, is a player and potentially head coach, Billy Donovan will meet via a virtual call with local market media after practice as they’ve been doing leading up to the move to the bubble.
Also of note, there is one practice arena that has been reserved for players who want to get in extra practice on their own. Players will need to schedule a time to utilize that facility.