Project Abstract

During the outbreak of COVID-19, many traditional and routine seasonal things had to be stopped due to the emergence of the virus as well as figuring out the best way to handle the situation. One of these was the 2020 NBA Finals, which historically would have been held in a large stadium, however a different approach was needed due to the global pandemic. The solution? Have all teams play in a closed “Bubble” preventing the spread of the disease, as well as pushing forward the championship. This occurred from the start of the playoff season in August to the finals in October. The series was performed for every viewer who followed the NBA, as well as the increase of viewers specifically for the finals between the Heat and the Lakers. This whole situation would fall under the category of customary folklore. A tradition of the NBA finals has been around for the United States to follow since the mid 20th century, and this strange switch of form for the finals to continue is a prime example of how we as a civilization adapted so quickly to the pandemic and our responses to it to maintain life as close to possible as we knew before.