The NBA is back! Less than a month after the 2019–2020 season unfolded, the NBA and the Players Association have reached an agreement on a 72 game season with a regular season start date of Dec. 22.
This will be the shortest off-season in sports history due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic took the world by storm and caused a delay in the basketball season for the first time ever. The season was paused in March and resumed in July in Orlando, Florida. Twenty-two teams were invited to the “bubble” in Orlando. During the bubble, fans were not allowed in attendance, and the players were isolated in Walt Disney World’s basketball campus. Players were tested for the virus daily with the top eight teams in each conference advancing to the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers advanced into bubble play but were defeated in the first round by the Boston Celtics. One outcome of their loss is that the team recently hired veteran head coach Doc Rivers to replace Brett Brown, who was fired after seven seasons. Daryl Morey was hired as the team’s president of basketball operations and is expected to revamp the team’s roster in hopes of capturing their first championship since the 1983 season.
The bubble continued into October, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat to win the franchise’s 17th championship and their first since 2010. Lebron James was named the finals MVP and won his fourth career championship. It was his first with the Lakers organization.
The 2020–2021 official offseason will begin on Nov. 18 with the annual NBA Draft. Barring a trade, the Minnesota Timberwolves hold the first pick and are expected to take Point Guard Lamelo Ball. The Draft was originally set to take place in Brooklyn, but it is being hosted at ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, due to coronavirus concerns. Four days later, free agents are permitted to sign with their new teams for the upcoming season. Top free agents this offseason include Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, Danilo Gallinari and Fred VanVleet.
Despite the loss of revenue due to the hiatus, the salary cap for the upcoming season remains unchanged at $109.14 million. Following free agency, training camp is set to begin on Dec. 1, just seven weeks after the end of the playoffs.
It is unclear whether fans will be allowed to attend games this season. If fans can attend games, it will depend on state government regulations on just how many will be permitted.
The NBA’s schedule is set to be released in the coming weeks and more details will be announced shortly. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out with some teams coming off of a short rest period while those who were not invited to the bubble had an extended offseason to rest and get healthy. Thirty teams will enter this season with championship aspirations, but only one will end up on top.
Erick Klambara is a second-year student majoring in media and cultures. EK924666@wcupa.edu