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Philadelphia 76ers Arrive in Orlando for NBA Restart

The Philadelphia 76ers have officially arrived in Orlando, Florida for the restart of the NBA's 2019-2020 season.
Philadelphia 76ers Arrive in Orlando for NBA Restart
Philadelphia 76ers Arrive in Orlando for NBA Restart

The Philadelphia 76ers' plane has landed in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday night. For the last few weeks now, Sixers players have been back in Philly and New Jersey working out at the team's practice facility in Camden. 

While players had yet to be cleared for working out with one another, they are one step closer to getting back into basketball shape as the NBA's bubble is officially open for business. Over the next two days or so, Sixers players will quarantine in their hotels.

Then, all NBA players at the bubble will undergo a COVID-19 test to ensure they are healthy and ready to partake in training camp 2.0. So far, the team has steered clear of any COVID-19 cases -- so the Sixers are on the right path at the moment.

Now, the team is hopeful that keeps up. Earlier in the week, several Sixers expressed concern for the NBA's return to action in the bubble. Notably, Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid admitted he was hesitant to come to the season's restart.

Not because Embiid doesn't trust the NBA, but because he doesn't believe all players will follow the safety precautions. As expected, Embiid's comment created a ton of buzz over the last couple of days -- so he made sure to travel cautiously in style by rocking a hazmat suit on the team's plane.

If all goes right over the next couple of days, the Sixers will have the opportunity to start practicing for the first three scrimmages and the final eight games of the regular season. The Sixers' first scrimmage will take place on Friday, July 24th, against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Sixers' season will resume on August 1st, against Indiana. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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