Despite Virus, We May Soon See an NBA Face-Off

ESPN report says 'high-profile players' may soon take part in game of 'horse' from home gyms
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2020 7:31 AM CDT
Despite Virus, We May Soon See an NBA Face-Off
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Gearstd)

Who says athletes can't play basketball while self-isolating during the coronavirus pandemic? Although it's almost certain we're not going to be seeing NBA games for the rest of this season—or games out of most professional sports anytime soon, despite President Trump's Saturday conference call with the major sports leagues—Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN's "senior NBA insider," reports that his network is working on something rather unique with the basketball organization: a televised game of "horse," with players each competing from his own home gym. The Jr. NBA explains the game, often played by kids: One player takes any kind of shot he wants, and if he makes it, other players have to duplicate that exact shot. Anyone who misses gets a letter in the word "horse."

Everyone who earns enough letters to spell out the word "horse" is eliminated, until a winner emerges victorious. Fox News notes it's not clear if the event would be live or prerecorded. It's also not clear who would take part in the face-off (only that it would involve "several high-profile players," per ESPN), or when it would take place, though Yahoo Sports points out one limitation right out of the gate: Not every NBA player boasts a home gym that can be used to take part in the competition. The outlet also notes that watching players go shot for shot from discrete locations wouldn't be as heart-pumping as watching a live game—but also that, "at this point, that's much better than nothing." (More NBA stories.)

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