LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 01: Mike Conley #10 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets in Game Seven of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 01, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)The NBA’s 2019-20 season ended less than a month ago. Believe it or not, next season could begin in a little over a month.
Adam Silver has yet to decided on a start date for the league’s 2020-21 season. After all, the NBA is facing unprecedented circumstances after the season was put on hold earlier this year in March, only for it to resume in late July. The season just came to a close on Oct. 11 when the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the NBA Finals.
The NBA was hoping to start the next season around Christmas of 2020. But that would give most of the 2019-20 playoff teams just a month or two of rest, which isn’t all too fair, especially for teams like the Heat and the Lakers. The NBA has also discussed starting next season in mid- to late-January of 2021.
It appears those two options have been finalized. The NBA and Players’ Association are discussing Dec. 22 and Jan. 18 as start dates. A Dec. 22 start date would feature a 72-game season. A Jan. 18 start would allow for a 60-game season. NBA insider Shams Charania has the latest, as seen in the tweet below.
NBA/NBPA are deciding between two ‘20-21 scenarios:
– Dec. 22: 72 games, regular season ends mid-May, Finals finish around July 22, Christmas revenue
– Jan. 18: 60 games, regular season ends in June, Finals end around Aug. 21Details on @TheAthleticNBA: https://t.co/NdQw0PVi7r
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 3, 2020
The NBA is clearly prioritizing revenue here. Starting the season later rather than sooner would obviously result in massive revenue loss.
But we’ll likely see plenty of players protest the idea of starting next season as soon as late December.
It’ll be interesting to see how players respond to Adam Silver’s latest proposals.
