NBA Season Start Just Around The Corner As 2020-21 Pre-Season And Christmas Day Schedule Released
It hasn’t even been two full months and we almost already have another NBA season to tip off.
When you remember the NBA season starts this month
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 1, 2020pic.twitter.com/ocPwbf5GeI
RELATED: NBA Season To Tip Off Tentatively On December 22
In fact, on October 11 was the last NBA game of the 2019-20 season with the Lakers defeating the Heat to win the title in the Orlando ‘bubble’. And on December 11, the NBA’s pre-season is set to tip off with a slot of five games scheduled around the league.
On Day One of the preseason, here’s the matchups:
Magic vs Hawks, Knicks vs Pistons, Rockets vs Bulls, Clippers vs Lakers, and Kings vs Trail Blazers.
The regular season will start on December 22 with a Warriors vs Nets matchup and Clippers vs Lakers battle.
On December 23:
— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2020
12/23
7:30pm/et, TNT: @Bucks/@celtics
10:30pm/et, ESPN: @dallasmavs/@Suns#KiaTipOff20 #OnlyHere pic.twitter.com/VkRStO5Kn7
On Christmas Day:
But, keeping it all in perspective in the midst of a pandemic, the NBA and NBPA also announced COVD-19 test results on December 2. NBA players returned to a league-wide testing program and of the 546 players tested during the “initial return-to-market testing phase, 48 have returned positive results.”
The NBA and NBPA say that anyone who was tested positive will be isolated until they’re cleared to leave isolation under NBA, NBPA rules and CDC guidance.
According to CBS Sports, in an NBA memorandum it says: “It is likely that some staff, players, and other participants in the 2020-21 season nonetheless will test positive or contract COVID-19, particularly as the virus remains prevalent in particular team markets and surrounding communities. The occurrence of independent cases (i.e., cases not spread among players or team staff) or a small or otherwise expected number of COVID-19 cases will not require a decision to suspend or cancel the 2020-21 season.”
The show must go on. And go on it will, indeed. With player, coach, staff, and fan safety in mind.
It all starts on December 11 (regular season on December 22). Who’s excited and who do you have in the Finals this season? Will the Lakers repeat, will another team take over in the West, or will a team from the East surprise some people this season? Let me know in the comments.
The tentative NBA Christmas schedule, per @wojespn:
— ESPN (@espn) December 2, 2020
Pelicans vs. Heat
Warriors vs. Bucks
Nets vs. Celtics
Mavs vs. Lakers
Clippers vs. Nuggets
S O O Npic.twitter.com/KYVF7bpFMy
