Udonis Haslem On NBA Season: 'If We Have To Play Without Fans Then So Be It'

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem spoke to reporters Wednesday about the potential return of the NBA season without fans and squashed any concern over whether the intensity of games would be different.

"If we have to play without fans then so be it," said Haslem. "You put an alpha male in a competitive setting you know they start to compete."

The veteran Heat forward was among various members of the team that returned to the organization's practice facility for the first time since March 20 when the league issued an order to close facilities in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 39-year-old Haslem also weighed in on the possibility of the season resuming in a "bubble" scenario in which players are away from their families and isolated in an attempt to avoid a flare up of the disease.

"Being away from our families and all of those different things like that, those are things we have to work through," said Haslem. "There is a mental health part of things. You can't just stick guys in a cage, let them out to play and then lock them back up again. It don't work like that either.

There has been some reporting in recent days indicating there is optimism inside the league about a return to play to finish out the 2019-20 league year. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that the league's return was quote "gaining momentum".

There are still hurdles to clear as no formal plan has been introduced to the player's association at this point.

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