Over the Thanksgiving break, there was no happier news than the revelation, entirely unexpected, that the NBA would, in fact, have a season this year. With game’s slated to begin on Christmas Day (although the schedule appears to still be in doubt), this is the best present a basketball fan could ask for.Of course, almost immediately the attitude of reporters and bloggers went from grateful for having a season, to their default setting of cynicism and calling out trade rumors as legitimate news. This is shocking, given the national media’s earlier restraint.The rumor mongering might not be so prevalent, however, if there were more concrete facts available. Billy Hunter claims that the players will be getting 51.2% of the aforementioned Basketball Revenue Income (BRI), and there’s not much reason to doubt him. However, we’ve yet to see an official schedule of games from the NBA. While there’s no conspiracy theorizing (yet) going on, there certainly is a dearth of information in a culture that is starving for sustenance. Las Vegas odds favor the Miami Heat to win the season, with the Toronto Raptors clocking in with the lowest chance. The Los Angeles Lakers, of course, figure into that equation, as do the Chicago Bulls, the San Antonio Spurs, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City Thunder and, of course, the Boston Celtics, who introduced their own trade rumors just recently.Regardless of the odds, though, of a season that wasn’t even in existence a mere week ago, the simple truth is that NBA fans have a lot to be thankful for. The usual doldrums of the season might be lost in this proposed 66 game schedule, and the traditional masterpiece of Christmas day games appears to be standing strong. As a dyed-in-the-wool basketball fan, I know this might sound a little bit like sacrilege (even though every serious basketball fan has had this discussion at several points in their fandom; it seems like the stink eye is always the response) but it might be time to think about shortening the season and making this a regular season. Football as America’s religion is not just a trope as this point; it’s a fact. So if the NBA can make a splash by starting the season on Christmas and then play out their "It’s early in the season, no one cares about these games," period in January and early February, while the NFL is building to the Super Bowl, maybe that’s not a bad thing.The time for long term plans, now, thankfully, seems far off. The time for celebration? Just about to begin. Welcome back, NBA.
The Nba Is Back!
Is It Time To Consider A Shorter Season?
3 min read
