LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 04: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is interviewed before Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The NBA is reportedly looking to begin next season before Christmas.
The NBA Finals concluded earlier this month and the attention immediately turned to when the 2020-21 season would begin. Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear he will give teams eight weeks notice of when play would begin.
Such decisions must be voted on and NBA scooper Shams Charania revealed a current target start date for next season.
NBA wants to keep the Christmas Day slot
The original rumors had the league looking to start play on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. This new report would allow the NBA to also keep its lucrative set of Christmas Day games. Woj then chimed in with some more details about this current plan of action.
He also mentions the possibility of keeping a play-in tournament, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the Orlando bubble. This would also add more excitement to the season if fans aren’t allowed in arenas at all, or only in a limited capacity and in certain cities.
There was talk of waiting to start the season until fans could attend games. Unfortunately, that may mean the league is waiting until midway through 2021 and that is just not feasible. Like the NHL, the NBA plays all its games indoors and that presents a great challenge. Having fans at games next season may be more of a luxury than an expectation.
This start date is not official and fans will be watching closely to see if it becomes a reality. The good news is that the league is actively discussing a plan to play and considering multiple options. Adam Silver has proven to be proactive and now the job is to avoid any shutdowns if the league won’t go to a bubble format again next season.