After 149 days of waiting, fans can finally let out a sigh of relief as NBA players and owners have come to terms on a tentative collective bargaining agreement that will allow the season to begin. The deal would allow the NBA season to begin on Christmas Day, which for most casual fans is the day that they truly begin paying attention to basketball.
After a meeting that lasted over 15 hours, players and owners now have to ratify the agreement to make it official. 15 votes are needed from the owners. And a majority (50% +1) is needed to ratify the deal amongst the players. However, before players can vote they need to withdraw their antitrust lawsuit and form the union once again.
The new plan calls for a 66 game long season. Training camp would open on December 9th, giving new players and rookies time to get in some practice in their new uniforms before having to take the court. The All Star Game will be rescheduled, but will still take place in Orlando, Florida.
With only 16 games cut off from this year, on the new opening day of Christmas Day we will see the Boston Celtics take on the New York Knicks, the Miami Heat face off against the Dallas Mavericks, and the Chicago Bulls challenge the Los Angeles Lakers.
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