NBA set for July 31 return with 22 teams after near-unanimous vote
- In a reported 29-1 vote, the board approves a proposal that calls for each of the 22 teams to play eight regular-season games starting July 3
NBA owners voted to restart the regular season for the 22 teams in contention for the play-offs in a near-unanimous vote of the league’s board of governors on Thursday afternoon.
“The board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “While the Covid-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalised with public health officials and medical experts.
“We also recognise that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways.”
The league said the NBA draft lottery will be August 25, and the draft will be held October 15, if all goes according to plan. Free agency will begin October 18, according to multiple reports.
