The NBA season could be extended into September in order to determine a winner, rather than cancelling it, several ESPN analysts suggest.
While there’s been talk the league could play into August, this is the first time we’ve heard of potentially playing to the end of summer or even the start of fall.
Appearing on Outside the Lines, Ramona Shelburne declares the league will do all it can to have a team hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy (Video link).
“This is a general sense among owners and players that no matter what they want to salvage the season, if that’s in July, if that’s in August, if that’s in September, so be it,” she said. “I don’t think anyone wants to start a new season without crowning a champion from this season.”
Former NBA player Jalen Rose said players could get ready physically to resume the season fairly quickly and doesn’t see competition with other sports as an issue (video link).
“The NBA could start in mid-June, mid-July, the NBA could start in August,” he said on ESPN’s morning show Get Up. “This idea that you can’t play basketball in September because you don’t want to compete with the NFL is absurd.”
Brian Windhorst echoed Rose’s comments on the same program.
“I think they’ll do whatever it takes, whatever it is on the calendar,” he said. “I don’t think I would rule out September basketball at all.”
As a Bucks fan, I hope the season is not cancelled. It would be a real shame for Mulwaukee to have such a fantastic season and not be able to pursue their first championship in almost 50 years.
If the season extends that far I doubt the bucks beat the nets(if healthy)
Lmao cuz Kyrie and KD could possibly be done rehabbing by Sept u think the Nets would beat the 53-12 Bucks in a 7 game series? Just an awful take lol, the NBA doesn’t work like that bud
Wow. If the suspension gets past June just cancel the season.
The season is over.
Season ain’t over! If NBA goes to September, the NFL can tremble for sure!
When football starts up, basketball players will fell obligated to continue.
Too much money to be made (players/owners/league, in general)… too much money to be lost (players/owners/league, in general).
The 2019-20 season will end on a 0:00 buzzer in the Finals… not an announcement.
Thanks adam
It’s not Rocket Science.
By the time July rolls around people’s minds are on baseball not basketball.
As a Blazers fan, I’d be really mad if the season doesn’t resume. There’s no guarantee (maybe no chance even) that we will have Melo back next season, Nurkic was literally about to come back on the 15th, and Collins will be back by the time the season resumes. They’re only a few games out of the 8 spot with 2 games against Memphis on the schedule. I need this season to resume for my mental health lol
Problem is they’ll only play 5-10 games then start the playoffs. So I don’t see Portland making it.
The season needs to be abbreviated if and when it comes back. If it stretches all the way into September, you’re realistically only looking at about a month and a half or so until the next season starts, and that’s not nearly enough time. Otherwise you could risk pushing next season back a little or cutting a few games, but that’s not ideal either.
Start next season in December and play through August. Opening day on Christmas would be just right.
Nobody will give a crap about basketball in August. Heck, most people don’t care too much about it in June unless their team is in it.
This is kinda ridiculous. I would rather be starting fresh in September as opposed to fluffing the 19-20 NBA seasons corpse.
If I was a Celtic fan I wouldn’t wanna carry on the season neither, that I can understand, but many other teams do actually have lofty aspirations & wanna achieve their goals, fans as well!
So are we going to have the Finals one week, a week of free agency and the draft, followed by the start of the 20-21 season? Seems surreal, but no more surreal than anything else going on right now.