Report: NBA eyes late December start, 72-game regular season
MANILA, Philippines — NBA fans will not have to wait long to see their favorite teams back on the hardcourt.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the league reportedly plans on beginning the 2020-2021 season as early as a few days prior to Christmas Day.
The NBA is planning to continue discussions with NBPA on 2020-2021 start plans that would include an opening night in the days prior to Christmas, 70-to-72 regular season games and a play-in tournament, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/aTobRpe9tZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2020
The NBA Board of Governers met to discuss the plans for next season on Friday (Saturday, Manila time).
Regular season games are expected to be cut to around 70 to 72 instead of the usual 82-game schedule while a play-in tournament for playoff spots, the first of its kind played earlier this year at the NBA bubble, will be adapted.
The league is looking at limiting travel for teams outside of a bubble setup, for example, a team travelling to New York will play its road games against the Knicks and the Nets in quick succession.
According to Wojnarowski, another activity that may need adjustment because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Another potential casualty of the 2020-2021 season and the coronavirus, sources tell ESPN: The All-Star Game. The event is scheduled for Indianapolis. No final decision has been made.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2020
The event is scheduled to be held in Indianapolis.
The 2019-20 NBA season just concluded earlier this month with the Los Angeles Lakers crowned champions inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida.
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