Adam Silver Must Act Fast on NBA Season Start Date

Adam Silver could be forgiven for thinking that implementing the bubble in Orlando was the biggest challenge he’ll ever face.

However, the NBA Commissioner now has a crucial decision to make, one that will have serious consequences either way.

It’s yet unclear when the 2020 – 2021 NBA season will begin, with two possible dates set. The new season will begin on either December 22 or January 18.

There is inevitable clamour within the league to start play before Christmas, but the players have already objected to this.

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Reportedly, the NBA stands to lose $1 billion if the league doesn’t start in December. As a result, Adam Silver will be under huge pressure to opt for the December date.

As well as that, NBA games on Christmas are a national tradition for longtime and new fans alike. However, Adam Silver will also face huge pressure from players who feel they won’t be ready to play so soon.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Danny Green is already on the record saying that he and his teammates likely won’t show up if the season starts so soon. The season gone by was the longest in history, and the quality of play will suffer if the players are pushed too hard.

Crucially, a December start date could see LeBron James absent. LeBron is the most influential player, and will exert his influence to push for delaying the season.

“If I had to guess, because we have a lot of vets on our team, it’s not like we have a lot of young guys or rookies … to have that quick of a restart, I wouldn’t expect to see [LeBron] there,” Danny Green said. 

Read: LeBron James Was Prepared to Abandon NBA Season

“I wouldn’t expect to see him probably for the first month of the season. He’ll probably be working out with us … but I just don’t expect guys to want to be there