Report: NBA returning to normal bench seating this season

The NBA will return to its normal bench arrangement for the upcoming 2021-22 season, The Athletic reported Wednesday.

Players coming off the court will no longer be required to sit in a cool-down area, per the report. The moves signal an end to some of the COVID-19 protocols that were instituted the past two seasons during the pandemic.

Game day personnel, however, will still be required to wear masks at the outset.

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