NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media during a presser announcing the 2022 NBA All Star game would be held in Cleveland. Silver, the owners and the Players Association this week has agreed on playing a 72 game schedule starting Dec 22 (file photo from cleveland.com)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

NBA and the Players Association set their opening of the 2020-21 season for December 22. It will not be in January, as both sides discussed another starting date. This is the fastest season-to-season turnaround in history for the NBA.

The LA Lakers won the title over the Miami Heat on October 11 that was the last game of the season. By starting on December 22, it means they will be back in less than three months. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this is in fact the quickest turnaround in history from one season to the next among all major professional leagues in the United States.

–72 game season. Not the regular 82 games as usual.

–Training camp will open on December 1.

–Playoffs middle of May until July

–Where they play. Teams to play in their home markets

–Traveling. There will be travel, but it will be cut by 25%, limiting the coast-to-coast traveling

–Players and staff will be tested daily for Covid-19

— Fans. Doesn’t look like fans will be allowed. It is a good bet thatCovid-19 will still be around by this December.

Precautions for players: Usually the biggest danger of virus contamination doesn’t happen on the court, but when players are not on the court. It will take lots of discipline by everybody in the sport to abide by all protocols.

Where will the Toronto Raptors play? Just like in baseball, when the Toronto Blue Jays were not allowed to play because Canadian government rules trying to control Covid-19 and they played in Buffalo, New York, it looks the same might happen with the NBA Toronto Raptors. Buffalo is also interested in hosting the Raptors. At this time, also Newark, New Jersey and Kansas City, Missouri.

Since spring some of the United States giant pharmaceutical companies like Johnson & Johnson and others as well as around the world have been working on a vaccine for Covid-19. Some have trials going on right now, with the hopes of getting it approved and out into the public. However, with 330 million people we are not a country that can vaccinate everybody in a couple of months, so patience is paramount.

Stay tuned and stay well.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the former Spanish radio voice for Golden State Warriors basketball and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com