2019–20 NBA season
The 2019–20 NBA season is the 74th season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 22, 2019 and was originally supposed to end on April 15, 2020. However, the season was suspended on March 11, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 16, 2020, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and was won by Team LeBron, 157–155. The playoffs were originally scheduled to begin on April 18, 2020, and end with the NBA Finals in June 2020. At the time of the suspension, teams had played between 63 and 67 games.
On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the season on July 30, 2020, and the National Basketball Players Association approved this plan the next day. Under the plan, 22 teams will play eight additional regular season games to determine playoff seeding, and 16 teams will enter a conventional post-season tournament. All gameplay will take place in the NBA Bubble, the isolation zone created specifically for NBA operations.
Transactions
Retirement
- In September 2018, Dwyane Wade announced his intentions to retire from the NBA at the end of the 2018–19 season. Wade played his 16 seasons with the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers franchises, winning three championships with the Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
- On March 1, 2019, Channing Frye announced his retirement from the NBA. Frye played 13 seasons in the NBA, winning one championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
- On April 9, 2019, Dirk Nowitzki announced his retirement from the NBA. Nowitzki played all his 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks franchise, winning one championship and Finals MVP with the Mavericks in 2011, and also led them to a Finals appearance in 2006.
- On June 10, 2019, Tony Parker announced his retirement from the NBA. He played 18 seasons in the NBA and was a four-time NBA champion and Finals MVP in 2007 with the San Antonio Spurs.
- On June 28, 2019, Darren Collison announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for five franchises during his 10-year NBA career.
- On August 29, 2019, Zaza Pachulia announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for six franchises during his 16-year career. He won two championships with the Golden State Warriors.
- On September 13, 2019, Shaun Livingston announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for ten franchises during his 15-year NBA career. He won three championships with the Golden State Warriors.
- On October 17, 2019, Luol Deng signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Chicago Bulls and officially retired as a Bull after playing 15 seasons. He was a two-time All-Star with the Bulls.
- On November 4, 2019, José Calderón announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for seven franchises during his 14-year NBA career.
- On December 28, 2019, Zach Randolph announced his retirement from the NBA, Randolph played for five franchises during his 17-year NBA career. He was a two-time All-Star with the Memphis Grizzlies.
- On February 16, 2020, Marcin Gortat announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for four franchises during his 12-year NBA career.
- On April 14, 2020, Trevor Booker announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for five franchises during his eight-year NBA career.
- On June 25, 2020, Vince Carter announced his retirement from the NBA. Carter played for eight franchises during a record 22-year career in the NBA; he's the only player to play in four different decades and was the last active player to have been drafted and played in the 1990s.
Free agency
Players officially signed after the July moratorium on July 6 at 12 p.m. ET.
Coaching changes
Off-season
- On April 11, 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Larry Drew parted ways after Drew's contract expired after the 2018–19 season.
- On April 11, 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies fired J. B. Bickerstaff after nearly two seasons.
- On April 11, 2019, the Sacramento Kings fired Dave Joerger after three seasons. The team missed the playoffs for the thirteenth straight year.
- On April 12, 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers and head coach Luke Walton parted ways after three seasons.
- On April 14, 2019, the Sacramento Kings hired Luke Walton as their new head coach.
- On April 22, 2019, the Phoenix Suns fired Igor Kokoškov after one season. The team missed the playoffs for the ninth straight year.
- On May 3, 2019, the Phoenix Suns hired Monty Williams as their new head coach.
- On May 13, 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired John Beilein as their new head coach.
- On May 13, 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Frank Vogel as their new head coach.
- On June 11, 2019, the Memphis Grizzlies hired Taylor Jenkins as their new head coach.
In-season
- On December 6, 2019, the New York Knicks fired head coach David Fizdale after a 4–18 start to the season and named Mike Miller interim head coach.
- On February 19, 2020, the Cleveland Cavaliers named J. B. Bickerstaff the new head coach of the team after John Beilein resigned from the position.
- On March 7, 2020, the Brooklyn Nets and head coach Kenny Atkinson mutually agreed to part ways. Jacque Vaughn was named interim head coach.
Preseason
International games
The Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings played two preseason games at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, India on October 4 and 5, 2019.The Toronto Raptors and the Houston Rockets played two preseason games at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, Japan on October 8 and 10, 2019.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets played two preseason games in China, in Shanghai on October 10 and in Shenzhen on October 12.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks played one preseason game in Canada, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on October 17.
Regular season
The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and was suspended on March 11, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire schedule was released on August 12, 2019.The reformatted regular season schedule for the remaining 22 teams going to the NBA Bubble in Orlando was released on June 26, 2020. The regular season resumed play within the bubble on July 30.
;Eastern Conference
;Western Conference
By conference
Notes- x – Clinched playoff spot
- o – Eliminated from playoff contention
- * – Division leader
International games
On June 7, 2019, the NBA announced that the Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs would play at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, marking the first time that four NBA teams would play in Mexico City in one regular season. The Mavericks and Pistons played on December 12, 2019, and the Spurs and Suns played on December 14, 2019.
Suspension of season
On March 11, 2020, the game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was abruptly postponed shortly before tipoff after it was discovered that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. That same evening, the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings was also postponed last minute once it was discovered that a referee for the game, Courtney Kirkland, had worked a Utah Jazz game only two days prior. Kirkland later tested negative for COVID-19. The NBA then suspended the remainder of the 2019–20 season "until further notice" following the completion of games already underway. This is the first time a regular season has been interrupted since the 2011 NBA lockout. The following day, Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive. On March 14, Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood became the third NBA player to test positive for the virus, and the first outside of the Jazz. On March 17, four Brooklyn Nets players, including superstar Kevin Durant, tested positive for the virus. On March 19, 2020, two players for the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics, tested positive for COVID-19. All players have recovered and were cleared by local health officials.On May 23, it was announced that the NBA were in negotiations with The Walt Disney Company about the possibility to finish the season at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. On May 29, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office informed Board of Governors that July 31 is the target date for a season return.
On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan to restart the season on July 31, 2020 in Orlando. Under this plan, 13 Western Conference teams and nine Eastern Conference teams, all clubs within six games of a playoff spot, would play eight regular-season "seeding" games. A possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed in each conference would then be held if the ninth seed finishes the regular season within four games of the eighth seed. This proposal was then approved by members of the National Basketball Players Association on June 5.
Medical protocol for season restart
On June 16, 2020, the NBA released a medical protocol to be used during the season restart in the NBA Bubble at Walt Disney World to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, officials, and staff. This includes regular testing for COVID-19 prior to and throughout the season restart, wearing a face covering or mask, and social distancing to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 from occurring. Players and coaches who are deemed "high-risk individuals" by their team, or players who have already suffered season-ending injuries prior to season suspension, will not be permitted to play and will also not lose any salary. Any player who is medically cleared may also decline to participate but they will lose their corresponding paychecks.Phase 1 of the plan ran from June 16 to 22, consisted of players traveling back to the home cities of their respective teams. In Phase 2 from June 23 to June 30, COVID-19 tests began being administered to players every other day. In Phase 3 from July 1 to July 11, mandatory individual workouts were conducted at team facilities, but group workouts were prohibited.
Phase 4 is from July 7 to July 21, consisting of the teams traveling to Disney World and conducting practices. Any player who tested positive in the previous phases may not travel until he is medically cleared to do so. Once teams arrive in Orlando, players and staff will be isolated in their rooms, required to pass two Polymerase chain reaction tests 24 hours apart before being let out of this quarantine. They will still be regularly tested for COVID-19 afterwards. A player who tests positive will be isolated and re-tested in case of a false positive; if COVID-19 is definitely confirmed, he will be quarantined for at least 14 days to recover.
Players and staff will not be permitted into another's room, nor will they be able to socialize with players on other teams staying at a different hotel building. They will have access to food and recreational activities within their hotel's bubble, but they will have to wear masks indoors except when eating. Anybody who leaves the bubble without prior approval will have to be quarantined for at least 10 days.
During Phase 5 from July 22 to 29, teams will play three scrimmages against the other teams staying at the same hotel. During Phase 6, when the regular season seeding games and playoffs are under way and teams begin to be eliminated from contention, players and staff on those clubs must pass one final COVID-19 test before they can leave Disney World.
The NBA also set up an anonymous hotline for players to report protocol violations while in the bubble.
Statistics
Individual statistic leaders
Individual game highs
Team statistic leaders
Awards
Players of the Week
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week.| Week | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Ref |
| October 22–27 | |||
| November 4–10 | |||
| November 11–17 | James Harden | ||
| November 18–24 | |||
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
| December 2–8 | Anthony Davis | ||
| December 9–15 | |||
| December 16–22 | |||
| December 23–29 | |||
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | LeBron James | ||
| January 6–12 | |||
| January 13–19 | |||
| January 20–26 | Pascal Siakam | ||
| Jaylen Brown | Damian Lillard | ||
| February 3–9 | |||
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | |||
| March 2–8 | LeBron James |
Players of the Month
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month.| Month | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Ref |
| October/November | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Luka Dončić | |
| December | Giannis Antetokounmpo | James Harden | |
| January | Giannis Antetokounmpo | LeBron James | |
| February | Jayson Tatum | LeBron James |
Rookies of the Month
The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.| Month | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Ref |
| October/November | Kendrick Nunn | Ja Morant | |
| December | Kendrick Nunn | Ja Morant | |
| January | Kendrick Nunn | Ja Morant | |
| February | Coby White | Zion Williamson |
Coaches of the Month
The following coaches were named the Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month.| Month | Eastern Conference | Western Conference | Ref |
| October/November | Nick Nurse | Frank Vogel | |
| December | Mike Budenholzer | Billy Donovan | |
| January | Nick Nurse | Taylor Jenkins | |
| February | Mike Budenholzer | Mike D'Antoni |
Arenas
- This was the Golden State Warriors' first season at the new Chase Center in San Francisco after playing at Oracle Arena in Oakland from 1971 to 2019. The Warriors played their first game there in a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5, 2019. They played their first regular season game there against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 24, 2019.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers' home arena, formerly known as Quicken Loans Arena, was renamed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 9, 2019.
Media
Under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the Fox Sports Regional Networks were required to be sold off to third parties by June 18, 2019. Fox also invoked a clause to give Yankee Global Enterprises the rights to buy their stake back in the YES Network, which airs the local broadcasts to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. Including YES, the Fox Sports Regional Networks hold the local TV rights to a combined total of 44 NHL, NBA, and MLB teams. On March 8, YES was sold to a consortium including Yankee Global Enterprises, Amazon, and Sinclair Broadcast Group for $3.5 billion. Then on May 3, Sinclair and Entertainment Studios agreed to purchase the rest of the Fox Sports Regional Networks. The networks continue to temporarily use the Fox Sports name under a transitional license agreement while Sinclair explores re-branding options.
Notable occurrences
- On October 24, 2019, Vince Carter of the Atlanta Hawks became the first player in NBA history to play 22 seasons. Carter officially checked in the game at 6:52 in the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons.
- On November 3, 2019, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks became the youngest player to record consecutive 25-point triple-doubles.
- On November 19, 2019, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers became the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams.
- On November 27, 2019, LeBron James became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 33,000 career points.
- On December 8, 2019, Luka Dončić surpassed the record for the most consecutive games with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Michael Jordan previously held the record, recording 18 consecutive games with at least 20–5–5 between March 13, 1989, and April 4, 1989.
- On December 10, 2019, Vince Carter became the fifth player in NBA history to play at least 1,500 games.
- On December 28, 2019, Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans, in addition to Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday of the Indiana Pacers, became the first three brothers to play in the same NBA game.
- On December 29, 2019, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to record at least 30,000 points, 9,000 rebounds and 9,000 assists.
- On January 1, 2020, NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern died at the age of 77, due to a brain hemorrhage sustained a few weeks prior. For the remainder of the season, all thirty teams wore a black stripe of fabric on the left side of their jerseys in memory of Stern.
- On January 4, 2020, Vince Carter became the only player in NBA history to have played in four different decades.
- On January 13, 2020, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 20-rebound triple-double at 21 years and 185 days old.
- On January 15, 2020, Chandler Parsons of the Atlanta Hawks was hit by a drunk driver, suffering potentially career-ending injuries.
- On January 20, 2020, Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets became the second player to record a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams.
- On January 22, 2020, Vince Carter moved past Alex English for 19th on the NBA all-time scoring list.
- On January 22, 2020, Zion Williamson made his professional debut, in a 121–117 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He played 18 minutes and finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds, scoring 17 consecutive points in 3:08 minutes during the fourth quarter.
- On January 25, 2020, LeBron James moved past Kobe Bryant for 3rd on the NBA all-time scoring list.
- On January 26, 2020, a day after being passed by LeBron James for 3rd on the NBA's all-time scoring list, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. During the first minute of each game for this day, players paid tribute by dribbling through the 24-second shot clock violation and the 8-second backcourt violation, referencing the two numbers Bryant wore during his career. In addition to this, the 2020 NBA All-Star Game was played with jersey numbers 24 and 2, the latter to pay tribute to Gianna.
- On January 27, the NBA announced that they would postpone the January 28 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center out of respect to Bryant. The game was later originally rescheduled for April 9, but was eventually played as the first game of the NBA restart on July 30 following the suspension of play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- On January 31, 2020, Vince Carter moved up to third place in the NBA all-time games played list with 1,523 passing Dirk Nowitzki in the process.
- On February 23, 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the earliest playoff berth with their 137–134 win over the Washington Wizards.
- On March 11, 2020, the league suspended the season indefinitely after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just hours after the WHO declared the disease a pandemic on the same day. Gobert's positive test causes a massive ripple effect, causing a shutdown of the vast majority or the sports world within five days. Vince Carter also played what became his final game, hitting a three-pointer in a 136–131 overtime loss to the New York Knicks.
- On June 4, the NBA Board of Governors approved 29–1 resuming the 2019–20 season in Orlando, Florida at Walt Disney World, after prior consideration of Las Vegas and Houston as potential spots.
- On June 16, 2020, the NBA released a medical protocol to be used during the season restart in the bubble to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches, officials, and staff.
- On June 25, 2020, Vince Carter officially announced his retirement after 22 seasons and four separate decades in the NBA. He is the only player to accomplish both these feats.
- On July 30, 2020, the regular season resumed in the NBA Bubble.