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With the 2021 NBA Playoffs in its latter stages, the 2021-22 NBA season schedule has now been released. The Athletic's NBA insider Shams Charania revealed the schedule on Twitter.
The information provided has shown that the NBA will return to its regular calendar with the start of the new season. Several alterations were made in the previous two seasons to accommodate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, with things returning to normal in several countries globally and with the administration of vaccines, the NBA will return to its standard mode of operation.
Key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season
The good news it that the NBA will return to its normal October-June calendar, which will give teams enough time to prepare ahead of tip-off. Players will also have more time to rest and take care of their bodies to avoid injuries.
It has been a fast-moving train since the return of the NBA in July 2020 after the lockdown directive in March last year. The association has done a great job in finding ways to ensure the continuity of the beloved sport.
The key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season are:
July 29th, 2021: 2021 NBA Draft
September 28th, 2021: Training camp starts
October 19th, 2021: Regular season starts
April 16th, 2022: Playoffs start
June 2nd, 2022: Finals Game 1
June 19th, 2022: Finals Game 7
June 23rd, 2002: 2022 NBA Draft
Shortly after the 2021 NBA Draft, free agency will begin and run for almost two months before players are expected to report to training camps. The regular season will return to the standard 82 games, which means the play-in tournament will be under the scanner.
Reports suggest the decision to return the league to normalcy as quickly as possible was a consensus among the players union, network partners, and the NBA. The schedule has reportedly been shared with the team via a memo sent out by the NBA today.
The 2020-21 NBA regular season was intriguing, despite its shortcomings. One area the NBA community will be thankful for is the preservation of players.
Fortunately, data shows that the rate of injuries was down 6% in the 2020-21 season, despite injuries to marquee players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the LA Lakers, which altered the fate of several franchises.
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