For two years anxious basketball fans have been waiting for a normal NBA season and this year, their dream might finally come true. As of October 19th, the NBA regular season has officially commenced and should continue to follow the usual schedule. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the NBA, and there have never been this many contenders in all those 75 years.

In July, the Bucks won the final championship games against the Phoenix Suns. They are now coming back to reclaim their title, after having gone 50 years without a championship title. The season will begin with 82 regular season games, per usual. The playoffs are scheduled to take place from Saturday, April 16th, to Monday, May 30th. Before the playoffs begin, the play-in tournament will be held from April 12th to April 15th. The championship games are supposed to be held from Thursday, June 2nd, to Sunday, June 19th. 

Monday, November 1st, marked the 75th anniversary of the league’s first ever regular season game. The league did many things to celebrate this occasion,  recruiting ambassadors like Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and more. They help show the leagues history and will make appearances in different games. Also, the NBA having many ‘classic mashups’, including the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Atlanta Hawks, marking the 50th anniversary of the Lakers 33 game winning streak. Along with games involving the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Gold State Warriors, celebrating the three franchises that have participated in every season. Finally, the NBA has composed a team to honor the anniversary. It is called the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and consists of 76 of the greatest players of all time. 

NBA fans have been craving the excitement of going to in-person games, seeing the players, hearing fans cheer, and the feeling of elation that has been missing from their lives. SportsTravel explains that this year, teams will be taking different precautions to help keep everyone safe. It depends on the stadium and team. However, some are requiring proof of vaccination or negative covid test, and some are requiring face masks. Nonetheless, the NBA is expecting almost full capacity in the stadiums. All teams, besides the Toronto Raptors, will be playing in their home stadium. Due to travel restrictions, we will have the Tampa Bay Raptors this season.

In comparison to the last two, this NBA season is gearing up to be an awesome one. With more games, fans, and special events for the 75th anniversary, it’s going to be long and full of basketball. What are you waiting for? There’s basketball to watch.