How Long Is A Normal NBA Season?
A normal NBA season is 82 games long. However, the length of the season can vary depending on the number of teams in the league.
82 Regular Season Games
The typical NBA season is 82 games long, and has been since 1967. Prior to that, seasons were as short as 50 games and as long as 90. The decision to move to an 82-game schedule was made in order to accommodate the growing number of teams in the league while still allowing each team to play every other team at least once.
Pre-Season Games
Pre-season games are not counted as part of the 82 game regular season schedule, but they are used by teams to tune-up before the regular season starts.
Pre-season games are typically played between late September and early October. The number of pre-season games each team plays varies, but it is typically between 4 and 8 games.
All-Star Game
The All-Star Game is an annual exhibition game hosted by the National Basketball Association (NBA). It features some of the league’s star players, who are assembled by fans, media, and coaches. The All-Star Game was first held in 1951.
The game is played during the NBA’s regular season, usually in February. It is a midseason break for the players and an opportunity for fans to see the league’s best players compete against each other. The weekend typically includes a skills challenge, a three-point contest, and a slam dunk contest, as well as the All-Star Game itself.
Playoffs
The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the league’s champion. The tournament bracket is made up of eight teams from each conference: the winners of the four Divisional series and the four Wild Card games. The playoff format has changed several times throughout NBA history, with the most recent being in 2016, when the first two rounds were expanded from best-of-five to best-of-seven.
In each round, the team with homecourt advantage (the higher seed) plays games one, two, five and seven at home, while their opponents (the lower seed) host games three, four and six. The first team to win four games in a series advances to the next round, while the losing team is eliminated from playoff contention.
The NBA Finals is the last round of the playoffs and pits the winners of the Eastern and Western Conferences against each other. The Finals is also a best-of-seven series, and like all other rounds, homecourt advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record.
The NBA season typically lasts from late October/early November until mid-April, with a break in February for the All-Star Game. The playoffs begin in late April/early May and can last into June if necessary.
