"A Mental Thing" Chris Newsome Discusses Initial Experience Inside Clark Bubble

What's going on? How it can happen? Will it be successful? 

Those are just some of the questions Aaron Atayde asked about the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) bubble in Clark where the league will attempt to restart a one-conference season on October 11. And frankly, those are the same questions everyone else is asking.

Fortunately, Tuesday's seventh episode of Jump Thru Hoops dedicated the early goings of the episode just for that with Atayde and Jinno Rufino getting some inside information from one of the players of the Meralco Bolts in Chris Newsome who joined the conversation live from his hotel room at Quest Hotel. Right off the bat, Newsome, who also played under Coach Norman Black in Ateneo, revealed, "As you can see, we got things everywhere. We're trying to make this small, little room our home for the next two months," Two months. At least. 

Since PBA teams began arriving in Clark yesterday, we've been seeing posts of players and coaches alike sharing their initial experience inside the PBA bubble and that begs the question from Rufino: What's the process to get inside the bubble?

"Obviously, we (Meralco) took our own bus (to Clark). We met at the location that was organized by the team. As soon as we got here, we had to (practice) social distancing right away. We had to register our name and (basic) information in their Stay Safe app and with that, you get a registered QR code. With that QR code, that's where you're gonna frequently scan at the checkpoints (inside the hotel)"  Newsome began. He also revealed that the said app "also monitors your health as well as your location" Everyone who arrived also underwent swab tests and have their body temperature checked. 

Atayde then asked: Are the protocols in place enough to ensure that this bubble will stay intact?

Newsome explained "As far as the hotel protocols (are concerned), I believe it's fine. There's definitely a strict protocol in order for you to enter the hotel premises. As far as the gym and everything like that, I have yet to see what the protocol is so I don't know how it will go as far as getting to the gym. I trust that the PBA has done their due diligence in order for them to figure out what is the safest way for that to happen (players going to the game venue and vice versa)" 

The former Blue Eagle also revealed that "Coach Norman is pretty much adamant on our mindset coming into the bubble because as we all know, this challenge is something that none of us have really faced before and this, over anything else, becomes a mental thing. We've all been playing basketball for the longest time but we've never been away from your families for two months," 

In the end, Chris Newsome reiterated that "the real objective is to win (the championship"

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