After a truncated 2020-21 season that featured fanless arenas and extensive coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols, the NBA is transitioning to a more normal 2021-22 season.
Last season started in December after the 2020 NBA playoffs ran all the way into mid-October, pushing the start of the season back. In order to compensate for the change, the league instituted a 72-game season and a playoff schedule that went until late July just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
It was a trying time for each organization as they tried to navigate a basketball season in the midst of a pandemic, but the NBA and players deserve all the credit in the world for making it work.