The Covid-19 pandemic has left everyone shaken to the cores. Marketplaces, stocks, businesses, sports, tournaments and travel have plummeted quickly with many hitting rock bottom.
Events all across the globe that were meant to be conducted at their usual annual timing were thrown out of the window due to the pandemic that spread across the world.
Basketball matches and tournaments that were already dated to occur, were postponed or concluded due to the uproar of the pandemic. Basketball odds still hang in the balance as it is still uncertain whether the new timeline can be implemented or whether they will have to be postponed temporarily or for the entire season.
Here are some basketball events that were to occur but were postponed to newer timings.
NBA Season 2020/21
Due to the pandemic, the 2020/21 standard season was postponed, right from the very beginning. The normal season was expected to begin from December 1, 2020. Notwithstanding, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recommended further postponing the season even if this meant that fan participation was restricted.
The NBA gets 40% of its income from participation and so deferring the season until it is more secure to give more fans access to the fields would facilitate the monetary torment.
NBA’s Countermeasures
The NBA will arrange a “play-in competition” for groups positioned seventh through tenth in every meeting from May 18 to May 21. The configuration is a shortened variant of the Page–McIntyre season finisher framework, a blended single and twofold end competition. The seventh spot group plays the eighth spot group with the victor securing the 7-seed in the end of the season games. The ninth spot group plays the tenth spot group. The seventh or eighth failure will at that point play the ninth or tenth champ, with the victor securing the 8-seed and the washout being disposed of.
When will the season resume?
The end of the season games will start on May 22nd and work under the standard 16-group season finisher design, with four rounds of best-of-seven arrangement. The 2021 NBA Finals will start no later than July 8th, with a potential Game 7 no later than July 22nd.
The European Teen Leagues
Teen Leagues or New-Talent Tournaments are also affected because of a two-phased scenario. Either the players are too cautious to even leave their homes or their neighborhoods, or a quarter of the team turns out positive after they have made it to the stadium.
Relocation of Toronto Raptors for the Big Games
As the Teen Leagues’ plan for the 2020–21 season, the Toronto Raptors were denied authorisation to play home games in Toronto as the Canadian government decided that rehashed crossline trips by the Raptors and their rivals would be a significant health hazard because of the Covid-19 cases in the United States and Canada. This is what befell the Raptors’ Major League Baseball partner, the Toronto Blue Jays, who had to play their 2020 home games in Buffalo.
Subsequent to taking a gander at a few US urban areas, the Raptors reported in 2020 that they would play their home games in Florida to start the season.
Conclusion
The basketball leagues other than the NBA Playoffs are a huge uncertainty, so it is highly advisable for fans awaiting the ticket booth to open that they are most likely to be postponed.
For every basketball fan out there, the NBA is sure to conduct their playoff tournament, and the schedule can be found here but be sure to stay updated regarding the other leagues as well. As said by the NBA’s Commissioner, the other leagues across Europe could be postponed for 2022.