It turns out that we may be getting NBA basketball back much sooner than anyone could have imagined.
As it stands, the league’s owners have let it be known that they, along with their TV partners, have a strong preference to begin the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22. The players, understandably so, have reportedly sought to have the season begin on or around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 18, 2021.
While the December tip-off would result in a dramatically short offseason for the league, the sentiment from the commissioner’s office is that doing so would be in the best long-term financial interest of the Association.
Nonetheless, there hasn’t been a tremendous amount of support for the idea, with NBPA executive director Michele Roberts going on the record to let it be known that her constituents weren’t thrilled with the prospect.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, however, the players will convene for a vote later this week and it seems that a rather large contingent of them believe that they will end up tipping off the season on Dec. 22.
The NBPA, led by executive director Michele Roberts, started formal conference calls with players from all 30 teams this week. Players have been holding calls with the NBPA beginning Monday and will go through Thursday morning. Players coming out of several meetings believe a Dec. 22 start is inevitable, sources said.
If that is indeed the case, the league’s proposal would have the playoffs be scheduled for the two months spanning May 22 to July 22. That would allow the league to complete its season before the Tokyo Olympics begin on July 23 and avoid competing with Major League Baseball’s playoffs or the NFL. It would also serve the important function of allowing the 2021-22 season to return to a normal NBA schedule with the regular season beginning in mid-October and the playoffs concluding in mid-June.