NBA reportedly targeting a Dec. 22 start date for next season
The NBA is reportedly looking to begin next season before Christmas.
The NBA Finals concluded earlier this month and the attention immediately turned to when the 2020-21 season would begin. Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear he will give teams eight weeks notice of when play would begin.
Such decisions must be voted on and NBA scooper Shams Charania revealed a current target start date for next season.
The NBA is targeting Dec. 22 for the start of the 2020-21 season and a 72-game campaign that finishes before the ‘21 Olympics, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2020
NBA wants to keep the Christmas Day slot
The original rumors had the league looking to start play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. This new report would allow the NBA to also keep its lucrative set of Christmas Day games. Woj then chimed in with some more details about this current plan of action.
Sources: NBA and Board Governors continued discussion on call today about playing something resembling more of a baseball series to limit travel outside of bubble. For example, a team might travel to New York and play its two road games against Knicks and one vs. Nets. https://t.co/ObuqSkNXCB
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2020
He also mentions the possibility of keeping a play-in tournament, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the Orlando bubble. This would also add more excitement to the season if fans aren’t allowed in arenas at all, or only in a limited capacity and in certain cities.
There was talk of waiting to start the season until fans could attend games. Unfortunately, that may mean the league is waiting until midway through 2021 and that is just not feasible. Like the NHL, the NBA plays all its games indoors and that presents a great challenge. Having fans at games next season may be more of a luxury than an expectation.
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This start date is not official and fans will be watching closely to see if it becomes a reality. The good news is that the league is actively discussing a plan to play and considering multiple options. Adam Silver has proven to be proactive and now the job is to avoid any shutdowns if the league won’t go to a bubble format again next season.