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For a time there, it seemed more and more that the next season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) would not take off until after the new year. Considering that 22 teams, particularly those that made it deep into the playoffs, endured a long and arduous stay within a restrictive bubble environment, the idea of extending the hiatus beyond the holidays and closer to Martin’s Day Luther King seemed practically and symbolically significant. However, once league officials and franchise owners took a closer look at the numbers, the prospect of moving the start before Christmas became not only more palatable, but necessary.
Needless to say, money has become the main concern, and not without reason. The NBA has just emerged from a singular campaign in which it lost, for Athletic estimates, close to $ 700 million in revenue, and it is estimated that the hemorrhage of earnings will continue given the probability of empty arenas under the continued threat of the new coronavirus. In the face of pressure to preserve revenue streams, none other than Commissioner Adam Silver has instilled in gamers the need to at least fulfill obligations to streaming partners in this regard. Which, simply put, is set to provide an additional month of games, including the traditional five-fold headline on Christmas Day.
Initially resilient and skeptical of plans to start the 2020-21 season on December 22, the National Basketball Players Association has lately been raving about the prospect. They will be formalizing their agreement to the start date in a vote today, but reluctantly, and not just because of the tight schedule. After the rookie draft, a truncated training camp is coming in two weeks. Meanwhile, the free agency window will be small, restricting roster evaluations and talent movement. And that’s without even taking into account the need for seven new head coaches to implement their systems.
In short, the product the NBA will launch early in its 2020-21 campaign will be far from ideal. Not counting the marquee names left out due to load management, almost every player will work to shape while competing. They don’t want to, but they know they have no choice, not with roughly $ 500 million at stake, and not when half of basketball-related income directly impacts their salaries. The sacrifices remain in any case; They will spend around a fifth of their take-home pay for the foreseeable future to survive the pandemic and its negative effects.
Sure, there are advantages. Aside from the positive impact on the bottom line, the earlier start of the season will also bring an earlier finish. For some players, the development allows them to participate in the 2021 Olympics. For all, it resets the annual calendar to the traditionally accepted one. Of course, the assumption is that everything will go according to plan, which is perhaps optimistic considering the obstacles that the National Football League has had to overcome week after week. Nonetheless, the show must go on, and will go on, and longtime regulars of the sport can’t wait.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside as Business world introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant in strategic planning, human resources and operations management, corporate communications and business development.
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