The NBA’s owners have made their position clear. By virtue of their approving Commissioner Adam Silver’s proposal to resume the season on July 31 by a final vote of 29-1, they want basketball back.
The NBA Players Association wants basketball back, too. But with some conditions. At least, that was the message the union sent on Friday when it released a statement that made it clear that there were some unsettled issues.
In all likelihood, the commissioner’s proposal that the 2020-21 season will begin sometime around Dec. 1 is one of them.
For weeks, the prevailing sentiment among many insiders has been that the 2020-21 season would begin sometime around Christmas Day. That turnaround seemed comparatively quick considering the NBA Finals could end as late as October 12.
Under normal circumstances, the NBA offseason — which includes the draft, free agency and summer league — lasts more than three months. Being that this season is far from typical, though, shaving a month off and beginning on Dec. 25 seemed reasonable.
Dec. 1? Apparently, not so much.
Writing for The Athletic, Shams Charania reported on the details of the NBPA call that took place on Friday. Among the issues that the union represented as needing further discussion was the start date of next season.
The National Basketball Players Association held a call with its Board and Player Representatives on Friday afternoon, and approved the NBA’s 22-team format for the resumption of the 2019-20 season…
The NBPA told players 2020-21 season starting on Dec. 1 is “unlikely” and plans to negotiate the date.
In all likelihood, the league wants to preserve its ability to play a full 82-game schedule next season, and starting the season earlier would increase that probability.
Still, especially for the team that loses the NBA Finals, the short offseason and lack of downtime is a tough pill to swallow.
At least, that’s obviously the way that the NBPA sees it.
