How Long Is the NBA Season?

The NBA season is 82 games long, plus the playoffs.
The regular season starts in late October and ends in April.
The playoffs start in April and can last until June.

Length of the NBA Season

The NBA season is 82 games long, which is shorter than most other major sports leagues in the world. This shorter season allows for more time for players to rest and recover between games, which can be beneficial for their health. It also prevents players from getting burnt out from playing too many games. The shorter season also creates a more intense and competitive environment.

82 regular season games

The NBA regular season typically runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The schedule is released in the summer, before the start of the season. The regular season is followed by the NBA playoffs, which consists of a best-of-seven series for each team in the league. The playoffs typically begin in mid-April and can last into June.

Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the conclusion of the NBA regular season. Teams that did not make the playoffs are assigned seed numbers in order so they can be easily compared. In many cases, the team with the better record receives a lower seed than a team with a worse record but qualified due to playing in a weaker division or conference. After the first and second rounds, the four remaining teams in each conference compete in their respective conference semifinals, then conference finals, and finally the NBA Finals, in which two teams from opposite conferences compete to win four out of seven games.

The first round of the playoffs is commonly referred to as the opening round, while the second round is known as the semifinals. The third round is called the conference finals, and finally, the last round before the Finals is known as the NBA Finals.

NBA Season Schedule

The NBA season typically runs from October to June, with a break in February for the All-Star Game. The playoffs usually start in April and can last into June. The NBA Finals are typically the last week of June.

October to April

The National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The NBA playoffs begin in April, and the championship series, commonly known as the NBA Finals, is held in June.

All-Star break in February

The All-Star break is the mid-season respite for NBA players, giving them a much-needed opportunity to rest and recharge before the home stretch of the season. The break typically falls in the last week of February, right around the time when many college basketball teams are wrapping up their regular seasons and preparing for March Madness.

The All-Star Game itself is usually played on a Sunday, with a weekend full of events leading up to it. The game features 24 of the league’s best players, selected by fans, coaches and media members, who are divided into two teams: the East and the West. The format changed starting with the 2017 All-Star Game, with each team playing for charity; the winning team’s chosen charity receives $350,000, while the loser’s chosen charity receives $150,000.

In addition to the game itself, there are also a skills challenge, a three-point contest and a dunk contest held during All-Star Weekend. These events have become nearly as popular as the game itself, if not more so; in recent years, marquee names like Steph Curry, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have all taken part in them.

NBA Season Length vs Other Leagues

The NBA season is the longest of all the major professional sports leagues in the United States. The regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The NBA playoffs start in April and can last until June. In comparison, the MLB season runs from April to October, with each team playing 162 games. The NFL season runs from September to December, with each team playing 16 games.

NBA is the longest of the major professional basketball leagues

The NBA regular season is 82 games long, which is the longest of the major professional basketball leagues. The NBA’s 82-game regular season runs from early October to April, with each team playing 41 home games and 41 away games. The playoffs then begin in mid-April and can last until June.

MLB, NHL, and NFL all have shorter seasons

The NBA season is 82 games long, which is the longest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The MLB season is 162 games long, while the NHL and NFL seasons are both around 180 days long. So why is the NBA season so much shorter?

The answer has to do with two things: money and player safety. With 82 games, each team plays every other team in their conference four times and every team in the other conference three times. That leaves room for plenty of inter-conference rivalries to be played out, which is something fans love.

But more importantly, it allows each team to play every game against an opponent that is relatively fresh. In a league where the difference between winning and losing can be just a few points, that extra rest can make all the difference in the world.

The downside to a shorter season is that it leaves less room for error. If a team gets off to a slow start, they may find themselves out of contention by the time Christmas rolls around. But for fans, that just means every game counts that much more.