The NBA season 75 It started as a great celebration by the most prestigious basketball league in the world, but now the organization faces a great challenge faced with a marked rebound in coronavirus cases.
What should have been a total party has become an uncertain panorama with the NBA postponing meetings due to contagion cases, removing its great stars from the courts, although Christmas parties can serve as light for fans.
Equipment like Los Angeles Lakers o los Brooklyn Nets, who are scheduled to play each other on December 25, have been hit by casualties of players who have been entered into the protocol to prevent the spread of infections.
Names of the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant have missed at least one match, which has unleashed a general malaise among the players.
“There are no plans at this time to stop the season,” league commissioner Adam Silver pointed out to ESPN.
Until now, the NBA has postponed up to nine games, although the plan to celebrate the Christmas parties remains firm, stating that it is not intended to reduce the capacity of the arenas.
“It seems to us that the correct and responsible thing, taking into account all the factors, is to continue playing,” he added, despite the fact that in December the NBA entered at least 103 players to the COVID-19 protocol list.
Silver stated that until 67% percent of basketball players have received a supplemental dose of the coronavirus vaccine, with 97% having at least one inoculation.
SINCE WHEN IS THE NBA PLAYED AT CHRISTMAS?
The historical tradition of having NBA games every December 25 arises practically since the creation of the leagueIt was in 1947 that it began with the New York Knicks defeating the Providence Steamroller 89-75 in the legendary Madison Square Garden.
Since then, the NBA has scheduled games every Christmas, with the exception of 1998 when a break prevented the first part of the campaign from taking place.
Interestingly, of the 30 franchises that make up the NBA today, only the Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies have never been required to play on December 25, while the Toronto Raptors have failed to clinch a win in two appearances.
NBA CHRISTMAS GAMES:
- Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks (11:00 horas)
- Boston Celtics vs Milwaukee Bucks (13:30 horas).
- Golden State Warriors vs Phoenix Suns (16:00 horas).
- Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers (19:00 horas).
- Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks (21:30 horas).
(Central Mexico time)
NOTABLE LOSSES BY TEAM IN THE SEASON (FROM THOSE WHO PLAY AT CHRISTMAS):
- Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari, vClint Capela, Timothe Luwawu- Cabarrot, Lou Williams.
- Boston Celtics: Jabari Parker, Al Horford, Grant Williams, Juancho Hernangómez, Sam Hauser, Brodic Thomas, Josh Richardson.
- Brooklyn Nets: Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge, James Johnson, De’Andre Bembry, Jevon Carter, James Harden, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Day’Ron Sharpe.
- Dallas Mavericks: Reggie Bullock, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, Tim Hardaway Jr., Trey Burke.
- Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins.
- Los angeles lakers: Talen Horton Tucker, Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves, Frank Vogel (entrenador), Kent Bazemore, LeBron James, Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Wesley Matthews, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis.
- New York Knicks: RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Kevin Knox, Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride.
HISTORICAL BRANDS ‘UNBEATABLE’ CHRISTMAS
- Most wins as a player: Dwyane Wade and LeBron James * – 10.
- Most wins as coach: Jack Ramsay and Phil Jackson – 11.
- Most points: Kobe Bryant – 365.
- Most rebounds: Bill Russel – 176.
- Most assists: Oscar Robertson – 145.
- Most blocks: Shaquille O’Neal – 25.
- Most Robberies: Russell Westbrook * – 28.
- More triples: James Harden * and JJ Redick– 23.
INDIVIDUAL BRANDS
- Most points in a game: Bernard King (Knicks) – 60.
- Most rebounds in one game: Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) – 36.
- Most assists in one game: Nate Archibald (Kansas City) and Guy Rodgers (Chicago) – 18.
- Most blocks in a game: DeAndre Jordan * (Clippers) – 2011.
- Most steals in one game: Kyrie Irving * (Cleveland) – 7.
- Most triples in one game: Brandon Ingram * (Pelicans) – 7.
(* = Active players)
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