Lakers' Danny Green Compares NBA Bubble Life to '48-Hour Groundhog Day'

The Los Angeles Lakers are only three wins away from their first NBA title since 2010, though it may not feel much different from the day the team arrived at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in July.

Being locked inside the NBA's Bubble in Orlando, Florida has kept players physically safe from the coronavirus pandemic, but taken a toll on their mental health. Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green compared life in the bubble to the film Groundhog Day, noting how the schedule never changes. 

“Every two days are the same,” Green told the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner. “It’s either game day or practice day. We stay on the same campus, eat at the same restaurant, go to the same gym, same home, same hotel access. So, yeah. But, yes, we are at the goal line. We still have some work to do, but we do see a light at the end of the tunnel. We know that it’s close to the end, it’s near."

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray both detailed their struggles with mental health inside the bubble earlier this postseason. George, in particular, said he was in a "dark place" and it had impacted his game. 

Lakers center Dwight Howard told reporters he's dealt with depression inside the bubble as well: 

“For myself, there has been times where I was depressed about just having to be in the bubble, not being able to see my family, my kids. So, it could be very difficult. So I just tried to find a way to escape mentally by doing a lot of reading, getting out and walking, talking to a lot of the people who work from the NBA who are here and experiencing the bubble as well."

Win or lose, Los Angeles knows the season is coming to a close and they'll be able to return home soon. As exciting as that is for the players and staffers who have been inside the bubble for more than 80 days, a big part of staying focused during The Finals is making sure the anticipation of leaving Orlando doesn't take away from the task at hand.

“We do know we only have a certain amount of time before this is all finished and [we] want to make sure we finish on the right note and continue to get our work done," Green said. "We’re not looking ahead, not looking at the light. We are not looking at the end zone. We’re looking for the next yard, the next first down. So, we got to get those done first before we get to the end zone.”