NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 10, 2020 – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) hosted a virtual forum on Monday evening titled “The Doctor in Charge of the NBA Bubble,” featuring guest speaker Dr. Leroy Sims, MD, MSc, CAQSM, Vice President and Medical Director for the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Dr. Sims, who was in charge of running the bubble in Orlando, Fla., this summer that allowed the NBA to finish its season, gave a presentation via Zoom and led a question-and-answer session from the MEAC’s member institutions, as well as representatives from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
The forum was a chance for Dr. Sims to share information as the 2020-21 college basketball season approaches; the first day of games will be Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Among the key points shared by Dr. Sims during the forum are the necessity of “over-communicating” to students and others on campus the protocols which have been formulated to safeguard them, as well as the need for decision-makers to lead by example by not being around people who are not wearing masks. He said the advantage of having students on college campuses is having a captive audience to better communicate with.
“You must stand in front of the students and answer their questions,” Dr. Sims said.
Dr. Sims indicated that more young people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 than are normally hospitalized with influenza. He also said that when rules are set up to safeguard groups against COVID-19, there must be uniformity with exceptions not being permitted.
A graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Sims has also served as Medical Director for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and U.S. Olympic Committee Team Physician for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) celebrates its 50th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2020-21 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of 11 outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.