NBA owners voted to restart the regular season for the 22 teams in contention for the playoffs in a near-unanimous vote of the league’s Board of Governors on Thursday afternoon.
In a reported 29-1 vote, the board approved a proposal that calls for each of the 22 teams to play eight regular-season games starting July 31, with the last possible date for Game 7 of the NBA Finals being Oct. 12.
“The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season,” commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts.
“We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways.”
The league said the NBA draft lottery will be Aug. 25, and the draft will be held Oct. 15, if all goes according to plan. Free ……Read more at Field Level Media