Starting October 19th 2021, running up to April 13th, 2022 NBA fans will be treated to yet another great season of basketball. NBA online betting will be alive again after a four months rest. The Philippines punters who have been active in PBA betting will now have more options where they can bet for their favorite NBA teams. Evelyn Balyton takes us through the new season, with a focus on transactions, pre-seasons, and regular season as well as the play-offs and other important highlights of the season.
The 2021/2022 NBA season will be the 76th season of the NBA where the league returns to a full eighty two-game regular season.
Apart from NBA online betting, there are planned 75th-anniversary promotions which are scheduled throughout the season. The anniversary logo will be featured in all NBA properties and painted on all the courts. The league also announced that as part of the celebration, 75 greatest players in NBA history will be listed by a panel of basketball stakeholders including the current and former players and clubs management.
Expected changes
As in most sports, the start of a new season will see or have seen several transactions, where players have retired others have moved from one club to another either on free agency or on a loan. Also, there have been coaches changes meaning some of the teams including the Atlanta Hawks will start the season under new management.
Retirement
On retirement, we have seen the following players announce their retirement from the league
· Ian Mahinmi, who has played in the NBA for 12 seasons, winning one championship
· Omri Casspi after playing for seven teams in his ten-year span at NBA
· Amile Jefferson, who was with Orlando Magic for two seasons
· Jarret Jack, who is ending his 13-year career at NBA
Ian Mahinmi is bowing out of NBA with great honor, the player who has been San Antonio Spurs for three years, Dallas Mavericks for two years, Indiana Pacers, and Washington Wizards for eight years cumulatively.
Omri Moshe Casspi, the Israeli-born player career at NBA s coming to an end after his stints at Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Return to the Kings between 2014 and 2017, New Orleans in 2017, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies. The small forward player went back to his first-team Maccabi Tel Aviv but he has announced his retirement from basketball from this year.
Amile Jefferson is retiring from basketball after having a stint in NBA where he has played for Iowa Wolves, Orlando Magic, Lakeland Magic and finally moving to Galatasaray in the 2021 season after being waived by Boston Celtics in December 2020. He starts his new career at Duke Blue Devils as the Director of Player Development.
There is a notable signing for the new season where Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors has signed a deal with the Miami Heat. Lonzo Ball entered into a four-year deal worth 85 million dollars with the Chicago Bulls. Los Angeles Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard and Phoenix Suns.
Coaches change
Nate McMillan will be confirmed as the Atlanta hawks having been an interim coach in the 2020/2021 season. Ime Udoka is the new Boston Celtics coach while Jason Kidd joins Dallas Mavericks. Other teams which will be under new management in the 2021-2022 seasons include New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards.
Pre COVID- 19 pandemic standard
The last two seasons of the NBA have been disrupted by COVID-19; the first time was when the games were postponed as the 2019/2020 season was coming to a close. This was a period of unprecedented events; all activities that attract large gatherings were all canceled in a move aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.
As the year progressed the season was completed but under new standards where the fans were banned in the stadiums among other measures which were also aimed at reducing the number of infections. These measures were continued in the 2020/2021 season where the number of those attending the matches was curtailed. 2021/22 Season will be different; the country is now almost fully reopened. We have seen packed stadiums in the United States and also other parts of the world. The massive vaccination campaigns are helping the country re-open even as we experienced new waves in this pandemic.
It will be exciting to see packed stadiums as fans enjoy the new NBA season.
Pre-season will kick off in the early days of October with the regular season running from mid-October 2021 to mid-April 2022. Play-offs are set to start on April 16th and finals kicking off on June 2nd.
Apart from the extended commemoration of 75 years, the season will be the first for Wilson as the supplier of the official NBA ball where they will be replacing Spalding, an American Sports equipment company, based in Bowling Green.
It will be interesting to have a normal NBA where COVID-19 rules have been relaxed, fans are expecting a great season; betting enthusiasts too including the Philippines bettors expect action, fun, and great wins.
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