NBA Considers Starting Season By Christmas

Topline

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office informed the Board of Governors on Friday that they are considering commencing the 2020-21 season as soon as December 22, according to The Athletic, which is quicker than expected considering last season’s playoffs concluded just 11 days ago. 

Key Facts

Crucial Quote: 

“It may be too quick, but it also makes too much sense,” one high-ranking team official told The Athletic.

Key Background:

In September, NBA commissioner Silver told reporters that “the goal” is to play a standard season, 82-game season in home arenas with fans present. However, with coronavirus cases and covid-related hospitalizations rising throughout the country, that may not be feasible. According to ESPN, two-thirds of the league’s local jurisdictions aren’t currently allowing for public gatherings of more than 500 people. The NBA was credited with helping keep players safe in the “bubble campus” in Orlando this summer, as no player, coach, or team staffer tested positive for Covid-19 during the four months it took to complete the 2019-20 season. However, the league would still reportedly prefer in-market play next season, as opposed to a bubble or multiple bubbles. It also seems likely that next year’s All-Star Game will be canceled. 

What To Watch For:

The NBA and Players Association have agreed that next Friday, Oct. 30, is the deadline to complete ongoing discussions on modifications to the collective bargaining agreement for next season.

Further Reading:

NBA’s Ratings Drop Not Due To Blowback Over Players’ Activism, Poll Suggests (Forbes) 

Reports Suggest Knicks Might Trade For Russell Westbrook. That Would Be A Major Mistake. (Forbes) 

NBA 2020 Free Agent Rankings: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, De’Anthony Melton And The Fourth Tier (Forbes)