George Hill Challenges New NBA COVID-19 Protocols: 'I'm Gonna Do What I Want to Do'

Following the NBA's announcement of stricter health and safety protocols amid rising positive COVID-19 rates within the league, Thunder guard George Hill pushed back against some of the measures.

"We wanna play the game ... but I don't understand some of the rules," Hill said, via ESPN. "We can sweat 48 minutes with a guy next to us for 48 minutes, but we can't talk to them afterwards. It makes no sense."

Under the new rules, players must "avoid extended socializing," limiting their pregame and postgame interactions to an elbow or first bump.

Among the additional protocols, the league will also ban players from leaving their hotel when on the road. Players will also not be able to interact "with non-team guests at the hotel." They were previously allowed two guests in their rooms. 

"I'm a grown man. I'm gonna do what I want to do. If I want to go see my family, I'm going to go see my family," Hill said. "They can't tell me I have to stay in a room 24/7. If it's that serious, then maybe we shouldn't be playing. But it's life; no one's going to be able to just cancel their whole life for this game."

Many have questioned if the NBA should play in a league-wide bubble again this season after seeing a rise in players testing positive for COVID-19 and multiple games being postponed. Among them, Wednesday's Jazz-Wizards game, Tuesday's Celtics-Bulls game and Monday's Mavericks-Pelicans game were all postponed due to the league's COVID-19 protocols. Each of Boston's last three games has been postponed and so far six NBA games have been postponed.

Players will now additionally be required to wear face masks on the bench at all times. Coaches and team staff must wear masks at all times during games and, for at least the next two weeks, "any pre-game meeting in the locker room is limited to no more than 10 minutes in duration."

"It's challenging, obviously, not being used to all the protocols and all the rules, but for me personally it's what's necessary," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of this COVID thing. If it means wearing my mask on the bench the whole time then it is what it is and I gotta do it."

Oklahoma City's Hamidou Diallo didn't appear bothered by the new protocols. 

"The rules are set, and it's either you follow them or you don't," Diallo said, via The Oklahoman. "If you don't follow them there's gonna be consequences to that, and if you do follow them hopefully God willing we'll stay healthy and we'll keep playing the game that we love."