Time is not an ally of the NBA these days.
It feels like yesterday that the greatest player on the planet held aloft his fourth Finals MVP trophy in the Florida bubble. Now, LeBron James and the rest of the league have to ignore bumps and bruises in hopes of getting the 2020-21 season tipped off by Dec. 22.
Why the rush?
There’s a 40% revenue loss expected if fans can’t attend games, but there’s also a revenue ticket worth anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion if the league can play a shortened 72-game regular season and make sure it has the playoffs done in time for the scheduled July Summer Olympics.