When Is the NBA Season Going to Start?

We’re all wondering when the NBA season is going to start. Here’s what we know so far and what we can expect.

When is the NBA season going to start?

The NBA season is set to start on December 22, 2020.

How the NBA’s schedule works

Assuming there are no more COVID-19 postponements or cancellations, the regular season will end on May 16. That’s when the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers will face off in the final game of the regular season.

From there, the NBA playoffs will begin on May 18 and run through July 22. That means we could potentially see an NBA Finals game as late as July 25 — which would be the latest date for an NBA Finals game in history.

Why the NBA season is shorter than other leagues

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. The NBA season is shorter than that of many other professional sports leagues, lasting only about seven months.

One reason for this is that the NBA schedule is very condensed, with games happening almost every day during the season. This leaves little time for players to rest and recover between games, which can lead to injuries. Additionally, the NBA playoffs are longer than those of other leagues, lasting up to two months. This means that the overall season is shorter, as teams have to start their playoff preparations earlier.

Another reason for the shorter season is that the NBA doesn’t have as many “built-in” breaks like other leagues do. For example, Major League Baseball (MLB) has an All-Star break and a World Series break built into its schedule. These breaks allow players to rest and recover, and also give fans a chance to watch other events (such as the All-Star Game or World Series). The NBA does have an All-Star break, but it is only one week long. Additionally, the NBA does not have any built-in breaks for events like the Stanley Cup Playoffs or Olympics (which happen during the NBA season).

How the NBA playoffs work

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the conclusion of the regular season to determine the league’s champion. The playoffs were first instituted in 1947, three years after the NBA was founded, and since then they have been held every year except for 1950 and 1993.

First round
The first round of the playoffs, or the Conference Quarterfinals, consists of each conference’s four lowest-seeded teams playing one another in two best-of-seven series. There is no set bracket structure for the first round; rather, matchups are determined on a yearly basis through a random draw. The team with the better regular season record between two PLAYOFF ADVANCING TEAMS earns home court advantage. In every other instance, home court advantage goes to the team with the higher seed. So, for example, if the #5 seed in each conference has a better record than the #4 seed but both win their first round matchup, then the #5 seeds would host games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary) while the #4 seeds would host games 3 and 4 (if necessary).

Second round
The second round of the playoffs is known as the Conference Semifinals. This round consists of each conference’s four remaining teams playing one another in two best-of-seven series with seeds re-ordered so that #1 faces #4 and #2 faces #3 from either conference based on regular season record (e.g., in 2012 this meant that if both Eastern Conference series were won by lower seeds then Eastern Conference finalists would be seeded #3 vs. #7; if only one were won by a lower seed then it would be seeded #4 vs. #6). Matchups for this and all future rounds are fixed regardless of whether teams have advanced to them by winning or losing previous series so that there can never be any “rematches” during any particular playoff year; home court advantage again depends on regular season record with tiebreakers used as needed.

Conference Finals
The third round of the playoffs is known asthe Conference Finals which pits each conference’s remaining two teams against one another in a best-of-seven final showdown with seeding once again based on respective regular season records.

NBA Finals
The championship round ofthe playoffs isknown asthe NBA Finals which features a rematch betweenthe Easternand Western Conference champions who faceoff ina best-oftheseven showdownwith home courtadvantage going to whichever team hadthe superiorregular seastonduring themostrecent completedseason(e.g.,in 2016this meantthat Golden Statewould start theirseriesontheirhomecourtat Oracle Arenainsteadof Cleveland).

What happens if the NBA season is cancelled?

The NBA season is in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If the season is cancelled, it would be a huge blow to the league, the players, and the fans.

The NBA is a billion-dollar business, and the cancellation of the season would have a ripple effect all across the league. The players would lose out on their salaries, and many of them would be forced to find other employment. The owners would lose out on revenue from ticket sales, TV contracts, and sponsorship deals. And the fans would be left without their favorite sport to watch.

If the NBA season is cancelled, it would be a tragedy for all involved. Let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that.