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The basketball season typically starts in mid-October and lasts until April, with each team playing 82 games. This is followed by the NBA Playoffs and the NHL Playoffs, which begin in April. The NBA Finals usually conclude in June, marking the end of the NBA season. June is also when the NBA Draft takes place, signalling the start of the NBA offseason. During the summer, the NBA has a Summer League for players vying for a roster spot, providing fans with basketball action throughout the year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| NBA Preseason | September-October |
| NBA Regular Season | October-April |
| NBA Cup Tournament | October-December |
| NBA All-Star Weekend | February |
| NBA Playoffs | April-June |
| NBA Finals | June |
| NBA Draft | June |
| NBA Offseason | June-July |
| NCAA College Basketball Season | November-April |
| March Madness | March-April |
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What You'll Learn
The off-season
During the off-season, players have the opportunity to take a break from the rigorous demands of the regular season and focus on their physical and mental well-being. This may include vacationing, spending time with family and friends, and engaging in hobbies or activities outside of basketball.
It is also a crucial period for players to work on their individual skills and development. Many players use this time to focus on specific areas of improvement, such as refining their shooting technique, working on their ball-handling skills, or improving their physical strength and conditioning. They may work with personal trainers, coaches, or specialists to set goals and create customized training programs to enhance their performance for the upcoming season.
In addition to individual skill development, the off-season is also a strategic time for team-building activities. Organizations may organize team retreats, workshops, or scrimmages to foster camaraderie, improve communication, and implement new offensive or defensive strategies. It is a period for teams to reflect on the past season, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and make any necessary adjustments to their lineup or tactics.
While the off-season provides a much-needed break and opportunities for improvement, it is also a period of anticipation and preparation for the upcoming season. Players gradually increase their training intensity, participate in preseason camps, and play exhibition games to get back into competitive shape. As the new season approaches, teams finalize their rosters, set goals, and heighten their focus and determination to succeed in the year ahead.
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The NBA Draft
The lottery system uses a "lottery-style ping-pong ball machine with 14 balls numbered 1-14, and 1,000 four-digit combinations are assigned to the 14 lottery teams." Until 2018, the worst team received 250 combinations, the second-worst 199, and the third worst 156, and so on. Starting in 2019, the three worst teams receive 140 combinations each, the fourth worst 125, and so on. After the first four picks, the remaining teams are ordered in reverse based on their previous season's record.
The draft process is lengthy and complex, and it is different from the NFL process. NBA hopefuls can return to school if they have eligibility, as long as they do not hire an agent during the workout process. This is a safety net for developing players, giving them more options. The process is also expensive, with training costs adding up to over $20,000, which agents usually pay for.
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The All-Star game
The NBA All-Star Game is an annual basketball game that features the league's best players. It is the featured event of the All-Star Weekend, which also includes other popular exhibition games and competitions involving NBA players, celebrities, and alumni, as well as players from the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the NBA G League. The All-Star Weekend usually takes place in February, with the game held on a Sunday night.
The first NBA All-Star Game was held in 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts, with the East team defeating the West team 111-94. The idea for the game was conceived during a meeting between NBA President Maurice Podoloff, NBA publicity director Haskell Cohen, and Boston Celtics owner Walter A. Brown. The basketball world was facing negative publicity due to a college basketball point-shaving scandal, and Cohen suggested hosting an exhibition game featuring the league's top players to regain public attention.
The head coach of the team with the best record in each conference is chosen to lead their respective conference in the All-Star Game, with a prohibition against consecutive appearances. This rule, known as the "Riley Rule," was created after Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley dominated the Western Conference team from 1982 to 1990.
The NBA All-Star Game has set attendance records, with 108,713 people attending the 2010 game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The game has also faced controversies, such as in 2017 when the NBA moved the game from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New Orleans due to a discriminatory "bathroom bill" passed in the state.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The game will be a highlight of the NBA season and a celebration of the league's top talent.
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The Playoffs
The basketball season is followed by the playoffs, a competition to determine the league champion. The playoffs are comprised of 16 teams in total, eight from each of the NBA's two conferences (East and West). The teams in each conference are ranked by their win-loss record from the regular season. The six teams with the most wins from each conference then progress immediately to the playoffs. The 7th to 10th-placed teams in each conference play for the remaining four spots in a 'play-in tournament'. The top 8 teams in the league standings at the end of the regular season qualify for a 3-week postseason tournament to determine a league champion.
The first round of the NBA playoffs sees the 1st seed in each conference play the 8th seed, while 2nd plays 7th, 3rd plays 6th, and 4th plays 5th. The second round is the Conference Semi-finals, and the third round is the Conference Finals. The teams that progress from each conference then meet in the NBA Finals to determine the champion. In each round, the team with the better regular-season record is rewarded with home-court advantage.
The NBA playoffs consist of four rounds, with the first three being the First Round, Conference Semi-finals, and Conference Finals. The fourth round is the NBA Finals, a best-of-seven series where the winning team needs four victories to win the round. The winners of the first half-season and second half-season are eligible to play in the playoffs. If the best overall team has not won either half-season, they qualify for a wild card series against the weaker half-season winner, with the winner advancing to the Taiwan Series.
In the EuroLeague, after the regular season, a best-of-5 playoffs is played in a 2-2-1 format. From the semifinals onwards, it becomes a single-elimination tournament held at a predetermined venue. Some leagues also have a relegation playoff.
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The Finals
The NBA Finals mark the conclusion of the NBA season, which usually takes place in June. The NBA Finals are the championship series of the NBA, where the top teams from the Eastern and Western conferences face off in a best-of-seven game format. The road to the NBA Finals starts with the regular season, which typically begins in mid-October and ends in mid-April, with each team playing approximately 82 games.
Following the regular season, the teams with the best records advance to the playoffs, which is a single-elimination tournament. The playoffs typically begin in mid-to-late April and last for around two months, culminating in the NBA Finals. The NBA Finals feature the two teams that have advanced through the previous rounds of the playoffs, with the Eastern Conference champion taking on the Western Conference champion.
The NBA Finals are a highly anticipated event, with the entire series usually lasting about two weeks. The specific dates of the NBA Finals can vary, but they typically fall within the month of June. The series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning the team with the better record during the regular season will host games 1, 2, and 5, while the other team hosts games 3, 4, and 6. If necessary, a seventh game is played on the court of the team with the better record.
The NBA Finals are a showcase of the best talent in the league, with the winning team being crowned the NBA Champions and receiving the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The Finals MVP award is also presented to the most outstanding player of the series. After the NBA Finals, the NBA offseason begins, during which teams prepare for the upcoming season through activities such as the NBA Draft, free agency, and trades.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA season is followed by the play-in tournament and the playoffs, which conclude with the NBA Finals. After the NBA Finals, the NBA offseason begins.
The NCAA college basketball season is followed by the "March Madness" tournament, which ends in early April.
The WNBA season usually starts in early summer (May or June) and wraps up in October. The postseason or playoffs follow the regular season, culminating in the World Series.
