Something that often gets taken for granted in the NBA is the team’s travel process between games. For players, while the ride usually goes smoothly, hopping from city to city over the course of days or even weeks tends to take its toll.
On February 25th, however, the Los Angeles Clippers experienced a different level of mayhem after the team’s plane was struck by lightning on the way to Denver.
“The plane dropped in altitude several times and shrieks could be heard from passengers in what some staffers called one of the worst moments they’ve experienced on a flight,” reported NBA Insider Ohm Youngmisuk. “Shortly after the Clippers landed safely in Colorado, the team saw a mark that took some of the paint off the tail of the Delta Air Lines plane — the result of a midair lightning strike.”
The Clippers’ charter plane got struck by lightning on their way to Denver on Feb. 25 😳, per @NotoriousOHM
“The plane dropped in altitude several times and shrieks could be heard from passengers in what some staffers called one of the worst moments they've experienced on a… pic.twitter.com/I8AHmFzzAH
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 15, 2023
It was obviously a very scary situation for the Clippers but thankfully, everyone made it out safe and sound. On Twitter, Clippers shooter Bones Hyland couldn’t help but share his short recap of the ordeal.
Ngl we thought it was over wit 😂😂🤦🏽♂️ https://t.co/iNoMpW9LmD
— Bones Hyland (@BizzyBones11) March 15, 2023
The Clips had to play the Nuggets the very next day, and they actually managed to keep it close with a 134-124 loss in overtime.
But the whole thing has got many fans wondering if the NBA should adjust its schedule to lighten the travel load on teams and their players.
Should The NBA Calender Be Changed?
Long road trips have always been a thing in the NBA, but incidents like the one outlined above really show how dangerous things can get on the road.
Of course, this follows the current logic of thinking by teams anyway, who encourage their plays to rest on back-to-backs or during the tail end of a meaningless road game.
Still, there are some players today who would rather keep the schedule as it is.
“We gonna keep playing 82 games until 3005,” said Andre Iguodala. “We can’t change 82 games. 82 games … there’s a mental side of it. That’s why we talk about rookie wall. Records are made to be broken, and as we get better over time we’ll break more records. But I do think that there’s a foundation in all sports, you have to carry on that tradition… 82 games, I do think you know it separates the men from the boys.
There will always be a risk associated with traveling, especially when you’re going across the country several times a year. The Clippers just happened to see the worst side of it with a horrible plane experience they will never forget.
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