NBA to Start New Season in December

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League, players association agree to begin 2020-21 season on Dec. 22

NBA logo
(Image credit: NBA)

 The National Basketball Association will begin a shortened 2020-21 season on Dec. 22, league officials said Tuesday.

As part of an agreement in principle announced Wednesday by the league and the National Basketball Players Association, the league will play a 72-game season -- down from its traditional 82-game schedule -- beginning on Dec. 22. Full regular-season and broadcast schedules will be released at a future date, said league officials. 

The 2020-21 NBA season will begin less than 75 days after the league’s 2019-20 season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The league stopped play in March due to the pandemic but resumed play in July.

The NBA Draft will take place on Nov. 18, with free agency beginning on Nov. 20, according to the league. 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.