The 2020-2021 NBA season is finally here, and the shortened campaign will feature as many new and important headlines as last year.
The 2020-2021 season is here. After a busy and controversial 2019-2020 season, which featured the NBA spearheading one of the largest protests over recent racial injustices in the U.S. and police brutality, a new season is here.
This season won’t be in a bubble; players, teams, coaches, and media hauled in an Orlando campus location. The NBA season is back to normal with teams playing home games and traveling for away games, although in a shortened fashion. The bubble happened just yesterday with the Lakers winning the championship on October 11th, and it is now finally December 22nd, the start of the new season.
The Lakers winning the championship were amongst the biggest storylines last season, including the tragic death of Laker legend Kobe Bryant, the COVID-19 pandemic which suspended the season, and the Orlando bubble that followed. The announcement for the new shortened season to begin on Dec. 22 was made soon after the playoffs had ended.
That day, NBA day, is finally here. From Dec. 22nd to March, the 32 NBA teams will play basketball and there are huge storylines headlining this season. It was a busy and exciting offseason, which included blockbuster trades and free agent signings.
The NBA Season is a busy and exciting time for fans and analysts. The start of the NBA season is much like the beginning of the playoffs with many stories coming to head, except one signifies the beginning and the other an end, which is consequential for all but one. The start of the season gives teams a fresh start. It gives the teams who lost last season a fresh start and it gives the teams who won another start in competing for something they love, the distinguished honors of their sport, such as the MVP Award and the NBA Championship.
I will dive into the biggest and most important stories heading into this new season.