Instead of the Final Four, we get hoops withdrawal disorder

Published April 4, 2020 4:00am ET



In these tumultuous times, do you have difficulty focusing on work or household responsibilities? Does life seem empty? Do you often daydream about excitement? Are you a basketball fan? If so, you may be suffering from a recently designated serious malady: hoops withdrawal disorder.

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first began to detect this now widespread illness, officially dubbed HWD-20, on March 12, 2020. It emerged suddenly when college conference basketball tournaments began to cancel because of the coronavirus pandemic. That afternoon, the hammer fell: The NCAA canceled its men’s and women’s national basketball tournaments.

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