NBA Rumors: 2021 season will likely start in January
After the 2019-20 NBA season was completely nuked by the current global pandemic, there was not only concern whether the season would be completed but there was also a question about when the 2020-21 season would start. And, perhaps most importantly, how it would even look.
While the first of those concerns has – and continues to – been answered (an NBA Champion will likely be crowned in early-October) there still isn’t a clear timeline for when the 2020-21 season will start or how it will look.
However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver gave at least some clarity on that issue. Silver told CNN’s Bob Costas that the hope is that the new season begins at some point in January. He also noted that the hope is that it will be a full 82-game season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver tells Bob Costas on @CNN that his “best guess” is that next season will begin in January at the earliest
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 22, 2020
He also said that the hope would be to play in home arenas and in front of fans. Although there is no guarantee of that at this point, there is some optimism considering that the NFL is beginning to play in front of some fans as their season has begun.
If all else fails, the NBA always knows it can go back to some sort of bubble form. It has worked thus far and appears to have been a huge success. If the 2020-21 – or, more accurately, 2021 – season does begin in January and that it will be an 82-game stretch, it adds even more questions.
For one, what will the rest of the timeline be for the calendar year? Will they allow it to be spread out and just let it finish in, say, August or September? If so, what does that mean for the 2021-22 season? Will this be a permanent NBA calendar year for the foreseeable future?
The good news is that the NBA is beginning to plan for the 2021 season. Where it gets complicated is in the logistics. I’m sure we’ll see basketball in 2021. It will almost likely begin in January. After that, there are too many questions marks to predict at this point.