The NBA Board of Governors will meet on Friday as the NBA prepares for the 2020-21 NBA season.

According to reports, issues surrounding the potential start date and schedule will be the focus of discussion for the meeting.

It is also being reported that the new season could kick off on Christmas day, a decision that is said to be influenced by the potentiality of having a big viewing audience.

However, this decision was opposed by some team representatives while starting the season around Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend in mid-January could be considered.

Furthermore, a schedule which will allow teams to play fewer games in the regular season will be assessed.

Currently, 82 games are played in the regular season but with the coronavirus situation, which forced the NBA to hold a bubble at the Walt Disney in Orlando Florida for the recently concluded season, the new season may see fewer games played.

If the NBA starts a new season on the 22nd of December, 72 games will be played in the season with the season-ending before the 2021 Summer Olympics.

The delay in the start of a new means that an 82-game is near impossible unless the NBA makes lesser off days or end the season later than usual.

Meanwhile, the NBA doesn’t want a plan that will affect or make the 2021-2022 NBA season start late.

There is also a financial implication to the 22nd of December start date as it is reported that teams could make as much as $500 million or more if they start the 22nd of December as opposed to a later date.

Nevertheless, the league will still adopt a play-in tournament to determine the Eastern and Western Conference’s eighth seed in the playoffs.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu