"We're going to Disney World!" NBA to resume season July 31 at WDW

johnmd20

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Do we think players will be cool with losing their entire summer? I know MLB players do but seems like an adjustment many wouldn’t be cool with. However, they probably have no choice.

Long live the Vegas Fall League!
I imagine they won't have a choice.
 

BigSoxFan

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Looks like they're going conservative, no World Cup stuff and keeping conferences.
View: https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1266466932095475713

Sources: If the NBA resumes play with a 22-team regular season format, teams will likely play eight games each. Then, a play-in tournament would take place for the eighth seed in each conference. Plans aren’t finalized yet but as of now it appears conferences would stay in place.
Wait, so there’d be a decent chance Memphis could fall into the lottery due to the play-in, right?
 

ifmanis5

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Woj: voting on Thursday.

The NBA is planning a Thursday vote of the Board of Governors -- with an expectation that owners will approve Adam Silver’s recommendation on a format to re-start the season in Orlando, sources tell ESPN.

Owners are largely planning to pledge support for Silver's final recommedation on a plan, which teams expect to include invitations for 20-to-22 teams to resume the season, sources tell @ramonashelburne @ZachLowe_NBA and me.
 
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BaseballJones

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The two month delay from now (a ridiculous amount of time, considering they have been shuttered for over 10 weeks already) makes it pretty clear the NBA intends to change the season calendar going forward, and officially starting their season in December and probably ending it in August.

If that is the case, that's not bad. NBA finals in the dead zone of August would be pretty good. With the draft in late August. And the NBA will almost completely avoid competing with football.
Not that too many people care (I do but most don’t), but that would have a big impact on women’s pro basketball worldwide. Right now the WNBA plays basically when the NBA doesn’t (there’s a little overlap). And the international basketball season is Nov-March. If the NBA moves to Dec-Aug, that means that the WNBA won’t be able to start til basically August. Maybe July.
It might make it really hard for the WNBA to squeeze its season in in the fall before the international seasons start. That might mean some pro women’s players can’t play both, which means a huge cut in their pay.
 

ElUno20

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Not that too many people care (I do but most don’t), but that would have a big impact on women’s pro basketball worldwide. Right now the WNBA plays basically when the NBA doesn’t (there’s a little overlap). And the international basketball season is Nov-March. If the NBA moves to Dec-Aug, that means that the WNBA won’t be able to start til basically August. Maybe July.
It might make it really hard for the WNBA to squeeze its season in in the fall before the international seasons start. That might mean some pro women’s players can’t play both, which means a huge cut in their pay.
Thanks for the info and insight. That does suck. I doubt it'll move the needle with Silver and the board though.
 

scott bankheadcase

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Not that too many people care (I do but most don’t), but that would have a big impact on women’s pro basketball worldwide. Right now the WNBA plays basically when the NBA doesn’t (there’s a little overlap). And the international basketball season is Nov-March. If the NBA moves to Dec-Aug, that means that the WNBA won’t be able to start til basically August. Maybe July.
It might make it really hard for the WNBA to squeeze its season in in the fall before the international seasons start. That might mean some pro women’s players can’t play both, which means a huge cut in their pay.
Not even that big a cut in their pay. They’ll all play overseas and not in the W
 

djbayko

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Do we think players will be cool with losing their entire summer? I know MLB players do but seems like an adjustment many wouldn’t be cool with. However, they probably have no choice.

Long live the Vegas Fall League!
Would they have a choice? A lot of the stars already bolt for warm weather climates. I wonder if a summer schedule would make that even more attractive.
 

ElUno20

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It's going to be fun to see which players weigh going hard in august and September knowing they'll be back in December.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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The two month delay from now (a ridiculous amount of time, considering they have been shuttered for over 10 weeks already) makes it pretty clear the NBA intends to change the season calendar going forward, and officially starting their season in December and probably ending it in August.

If that is the case, that's not bad. NBA finals in the dead zone of August would be pretty good. With the draft in late August. And the NBA will almost completely avoid competing with football.
This would also mean no NBA players in the Olympics, not that this is their major focus.
 

Salem's Lot

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Do we think players will be cool with losing their entire summer? I know MLB players do but seems like an adjustment many wouldn’t be cool with. However, they probably have no choice.

Long live the Vegas Fall League!
I would think that players in cold weather markets would welcome the change. It would probably even make certain cold weather cities a destination that more free agents would consider going to. Personally, if I was an NBA and had no ties to Boston, there’s no way I would play here from October to May if I had the choice. December to August though may change my mind. Especially the guys with families. Wife and kids can stay at home until schools out, then come watch dad play in the summer.
 

Ale Xander

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I would think that players in cold weather markets would welcome the change. It would probably even make certain cold weather cities a destination that more free agents would consider going to. Personally, if I was an NBA and had no ties to Boston, there’s no way I would play here from October to May if I had the choice. December to August though may change my mind. Especially the guys with families. Wife and kids can stay at home until schools out, then come watch dad play in the summer.
I'm hoping seafood-loving, revolutionary war history-loving, skiiers/snowboarders become the next market inefficiency.
 

queenb

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This would also mean no NBA players in the Olympics, not that this is their major focus.
Using NBA players in the Olympics seems to have helped grow the game's popularity globally and greased the pipeline of international talent but if the NBA brass are okay with that they must believe that reviving domestic popularity by filling the late summer void in American sports is more important than sustaining global growth. Hard to argue that decision given that - despite the narrative that the NBA is growing fast - ratings have been on the decline and they've depended on TV revenue.
 
This would also mean no NBA players in the Olympics, not that this is their major focus.
In theory, Olympic men's basketball teams could resemble hockey teams at the World Championships - with players on teams not making the playoffs, and possibly teams knocked out in the first round of the playoffs (depending on how the calendar works), eligible for selection along with college kids and players based in Europe, etc. That might actually be a hybrid worth watching, and perhaps even consistently competitive.
 

ElUno20

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Oct 12? Adam Silver botched the hell out of this. I know I'm in the tiny minority but whatever.

Should've just cancelled the damn season.
 

lexrageorge

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Oct 12? Adam Silver botched the hell out of this. I know I'm in the tiny minority but whatever.

Should've just cancelled the damn season.
What could he have done? I'm not seeing any better options, and cancelling the season would be costly.
 

Spelunker

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Oct 12? Adam Silver botched the hell out of this. I know I'm in the tiny minority but whatever.

Should've just cancelled the damn season.
Uh, why? Why not have it, and then start again after a few months? What's the argument for entirely cancelling it if you can still eke out the playoffs?
 

NoXInNixon

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If the season ends Oct 12, when does the next season start? The players need an off-season.
 

nighthob

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Well that certainly ensures that the WNBA will die (due to the NBA cannibalizing their ratings), although the NBA owners might see that as a feature rather than a bug.
 

uncannymanny

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How will the NBA handle audio if there’s no fans? I’ve only sat close to the floor a couple times and the chatter on the court is generally very NSFTV.
 
The timeframes being suggested have never really made sense to me. I'm not that bothered about how far into October the calendar might stretch; it's not like the players will have been going at it for eight straight months by the time Christmas and the new season roll around, and even after the playoffs it shouldn't be *that* difficult to start a new season two-and-a-half months later. (And it's only a few teams who will have been playing far into September and October anyway, of course.) But how is it possible for European soccer leagues, leagues which are broadly concurrent with the NBA and which shut down around the same time as the NBA, to get back underway between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half months sooner than the NBA? I know they are playing in their own empty stadiums, mostly, and they aren't pursuing a "bubble"-type solution, but is it really going to be another two months before all of the players are in shape to resume and all of the logistics at Disney are sorted out? Why not go all out to beat MLB and the NHL back to work and dominate the summer in America's consciousness as much as possible?
 

Captaincoop

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Well that certainly ensures that the WNBA will die (due to the NBA cannibalizing their ratings), although the NBA owners might see that as a feature rather than a bug.
MLB might die if this all happens. It wasn't exactly on fire with the American viewing public before this all happened. Now they're going to miss an entire season squabbling while a more popular sport takes over two straight years of baseball season? That should be interesting.
 

InstaFace

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MLB might die if this all happens. It wasn't exactly on fire with the American viewing public before this all happened. Now they're going to miss an entire season squabbling while a more popular sport takes over two straight years of baseball season? That should be interesting.
"MLB is dying" is the most tired canard on this site and all sports sites. There are more heavily-researched takedowns than you can shake a stick at. Here's the league's revenue over the last 20 years, see if you can pinpoint the moment when it started dying.

If MLB misses a season, it won't be good, will hurt their numbers surely, but the sport isn't going anywhere. "MLB might die" is an overreaction worthy of JulE6.
 

Montana Fan

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"MLB might die is" an overstatement but declining attendance and WS viewership is documented. Coop's point is clearly that the NBA playoffs and championships will further cut into MLB's already declining numbers. But JulE6, whoever that is, might be able to add more data.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

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How will the NBA handle audio if there’s no fans? I’ve only sat close to the floor a couple times and the chatter on the court is generally very NSFTV.
I've heard they could have a separate feed with tape delay in order to pick off any truly odious language (but leaving in the occasional S or F bombs). There would be a "PG" feed carried live that carries some sort of atmospheric noise or music pumped in but not direct court chatter.

If the NBA decides not to make court chatter that audible, they could use the team's DJs at the site or remotely (although for Detroit games I'm glad that Chauncey B-b-b-b-billups!!!! is no longer in the league) to play tracks as the game goes on. Could also be an opportunity to enhance the experience, like have certain "at bat" music for the players. So when Jaylen Brown has the ball on the wing ready to drive they serve up an apropos music selection.
 

DJnVa

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How's scheduling going to work? Or, maybe a better question, which team is losing the most games against bad teams that aren't invited to Orlando?
 

Captaincoop

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"MLB is dying" is the most tired canard on this site and all sports sites. There are more heavily-researched takedowns than you can shake a stick at. Here's the league's revenue over the last 20 years, see if you can pinpoint the moment when it started dying.

If MLB misses a season, it won't be good, will hurt their numbers surely, but the sport isn't going anywhere. "MLB might die" is an overreaction worthy of JulE6.
I don't literally think MLB will cease to exist, but its popularity is already in decline and this is going to accelerate that.
 

Kliq

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I don't literally think MLB will cease to exist, but its popularity is already in decline and this is going to accelerate that.
League revenue is also not a great indicator of long term popularity. So much of the money is tied to TV rights, and the story of the TV industry is that live sports rights go up and up and up, even if their viewership is declining because live sports are viewed as the savior for network and cable television. I don't think baseball will die, but the aging fanbase (and the fanbase aging out of the key 18-49 demographic) should be a serious concern. I see baseball becoming more like hockey, still a very popular sport, but more of a niche thing than a ubiquitous pastime.
 

Captaincoop

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That's all on point. Look at the World Series ratings versus the NBA Finals. The World Series used to blow the NBA away. Last year they had essentially the same amount of viewers. Coming out of this, would you expect MLB to remain even, or fall below the NBA?
 

128

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League revenue is also not a great indicator of long term popularity. So much of the money is tied to TV rights, and the story of the TV industry is that live sports rights go up and up and up, even if their viewership is declining because live sports are viewed as the savior for network and cable television. I don't think baseball will die, but the aging fanbase (and the fanbase aging out of the key 18-49 demographic) should be a serious concern. I see baseball becoming more like hockey, still a very popular sport, but more of a niche thing than a ubiquitous pastime.
That interest and participation in baseball by African-Americans is probably at an all-time low doesn't help, either.
 

DJnVa

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View: https://twitter.com/VinceGoodwill/status/1268247784576159746


So the Celtics would pick up from where they were? And why does he not say if they were scheduled to play "non-invited" team? It's more than the 3 listed right? Or am I missing something obvious?

Mar 12: Milwaukee
Then Washington, Chicago, NYK would NOT be played
Mar 20: Toronto

So with the Sixers and Pacers tied, it looks like the Pacers have already played 39 of their 65 games against below .500 teams, the Sixers only 35. That means the Sixers are losing out on some "easier" games.
 

Ale Xander

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Can they really not afford (or find hotel rooms/courts for) to invite all the teams so at least the schedules are fair?
 

DJnVa

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Can they really not afford (or find hotel rooms/courts for) to invite all the teams so at least the schedules are fair?
Teams with nothing to play for likely have no desire to show up at this point. Yeah, teams have meaningless games every season by this point, but I think this year, it's just easier/safer to bring in the ones with something to play for.
 

JCizzle

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View: https://twitter.com/VinceGoodwill/status/1268247784576159746


So the Celtics would pick up from where they were? And why does he not say if they were scheduled to play "non-invited" team? It's more than the 3 listed right? Or am I missing something obvious?

Mar 12: Milwaukee
Then Washington, Chicago, NYK would NOT be played
Mar 20: Toronto

So with the Sixers and Pacers tied, it looks like the Pacers have already played 39 of their 65 games against below .500 teams, the Sixers only 35. That means the Sixers are losing out on some "easier" games.
Washington was invited, but you're right otherwise. I think!
 

Orel Miraculous

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The "baseball is dying" narrative is one of the most annoying discussions there is, both because it's been ongoing for literally 100 years, and because everyone who says it's dying bases their argument almost entirely on anecdotes about their friends and twitter feed.

The reality is that, while baseball has major issues to address in terms of maintaining its audience (as does literally every entertainment option today), it is neither dying, nor even less popular than the NBA, despite the latter being presumed in this thread.

Look at the actual data.

World Series vs. NBA Finals
The NBA Finals has been consistently beating the World Series in TV ratings - there is no question about that. But these numbers are frequently very close, highly variable depending on matchups, and not overly conclusive of anything.

2019
MLB: 8.1M avg
NBA: 8.8

2018
MLB: 8.3
NBA: 10

2017:
MLB: 10.7
NBA: 11.3

2016
MLB: 12.9
NBA: 11.4

2015
MLB: 8.6

NBA: 11.6

2014
MLB: 8.2

NBA: 9.3

2013
MLB: 8.9

NBA: 10.5

2012
MLB: 7.6

NBA: 10.1

2011
MLB: 10

NBA: 10.2

2010
MLB: 8.4

NBA: 10.6

2009
MLB: 11.7
NBA: 8.4

Favorite Sports League
But according to the ESPN/SSRS poll, which is considered the industry standard, MLB is still consistently America's second-favorite sports league, with the NBA coming in fourth (college football slots in between them). But like the World Series vs. Finals ratings, the gap here isn't huge.

2016 (the most recent I could find)
MLB: 10.6%
NBA: 8.2

MLB: 10.3
NBA: 7.8

Local TV Ratings
Now here's the one the NBA really needs to look at if it's serious about moving to the summer. Baseball absolutely destroys the NBA head-to-head in the local markets, and it's not even close. (Data is from 2018-19 NBA season, and 2019 MLB season.)

Atlanta
Braves - 3.62
Hawks - .59

Boston
Red Sox - 5.25
Celtics - 2.67

Chicago
White Sox - .95
Cubs - 4.11

Bulls - 1.36

Cleveland
Indians - 6.55
Cavs - 3.32

Dallas
Rangers - 1.17
Mavericks - 1.29

Denver
Rockies - 3.05
Nuggets - 1.4

Detroit
Tigers - 2.4
Pistons - 1.42

Houston
Astros - 4.87
Rockets - 2.31

Los Angeles
Angels - 1.24
Dodgers - 1.76

Clippers - .56
Lakers - 2.33

Miami
Marlins - .83
Heat - 2.32

Minneapolis
Twins - 6.33
Wolves - 2.2

Milwaukee
Brewers - 6.37
Bucks - 3.07

New York
Yankees - 3.02
Mets - 2.27

Nets - .46
Knicks - .90

Philadelphia
Phillies - 4.06
Sixers - 2.8

Phoenix
Diamondbacks - 2.18
Suns - .79

San Francisco
A's - .76
Giants - 2.34
Warriors - 7.5

Washington DC
Nationals - 2.29
Wizards - 1.19

The thrust of these numbers seems to be that, on a national level, the NBA may be slightly more popular than baseball. But on a local level, baseball absolutely crushes the NBA. People like their MLB teams significantly more than their NBA teams. The NBA moving to the summer would be a huge mistake born of hubris.
 

The Social Chair

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Only demo advertisers care about is 18 - 49. Your overall ratings numbers are meaningless.

However, I do think MLB is a more popular sport regionally during the regular season.
 

DJnVa

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All we read about in the MLB threads is payroll and money related.

do we know what the NBA players will be making?
https://www.insider.com/nba-salaries-reduced-lebron-james-steph-curry-2020-5
The reduction is part of a temporary pay-cut agreed upon by the league and the players union. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski described it as: "something of an escrow account that would return money to the players should all the remaining regular-season games be played in a resumption of the season. Otherwise, teams would keep a percentage of the money based on the cancellation of games."