Report: NBA Studying Effects of Social Isolation on Players, Staff amid Hiatus

The NBA has been proactive in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and ESPN's Ramona Shelburne revealed that mindset also includes the league researching the "effects of social isolation" among players, coaches and staff members.

Per Shelburne: "The league is now studying the effects of social isolation on the mental health of its players, coaches and staffers, according to sources. Daily calls are held with mental health experts, and plans are being devised to use technology to help mitigate the effects of that isolation."

The NBA has been at the forefront regarding players' mental health.

Per Elijah Shama of CNBC.com, all 30 teams were required to have one mental health professional on staff beginning this season. Teams also were mandated to retain a licensed psychiatrist when needed.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also expressed concern about players' well-being at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in March 2019, per Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe.

"When I meet with them, what surprises me is that they’re truly unhappy," Silver said to panel host Bill Simmons of The Ringer. "A lot of these young men are generally unhappy."

Silver also mentioned a player's comments to him: "He said to me, 'From the time I get on the plane to when I show up in the arena for the game, I won’t see a single person.' There was a deep sadness around him."

The NBA efforts to protect players' mental health was ongoing long prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but further concerns naturally exist now with several NBA players having confirmed COVID-19 cases. The league is suspended until further notice, and many players are in self-isolation or self-quarantine. That provides another challenge to the league as it looks to navigate an uncertain future ahead.