2022–23 NBA season

• 1. The 77th Season Begins

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  the 18th of October 2022 marked the start of the 77th season for the National Basketball Association. The regular schedule ran through the 9th of April 2023 before the playoffs began on April 15. The final game took place on June 12 when the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win the championship. This conclusion followed a long pause caused by the global pandemic that had delayed international play since 2019. The All-Star Game occurred mid-season on February 19 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

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• 2. Legends Leave And New Stars Arrive

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  Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from professional basketball on the 22nd of May 2023 after playing nineteen seasons across six teams. He earned ten NBA All-Star honors and led the league in scoring during the 2012, 13 season. Other players like J.J. Barea and Gustavo Ayón also retired earlier in the year with their own distinct career histories. The draft held on the 23rd of June 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn saw Paolo Banchero selected first overall by the Orlando Magic. Banchero became the first teenager to score twenty points or more in his first three games of the season.

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• 3. Global Games Return To Courts

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  The NBA Global Games returned for regular season play after nearly three years without an international matchup due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two specific games took place in Mexico City and Paris during the winter months. The Miami Heat played against the San Antonio Spurs at Mexico City Arena on the 17th of December 2022. Later that month, the Chicago Bulls faced the Detroit Pistons at Accor Arena in Paris on the 19th of January 2023. Preseason contests had already started returning to Tokyo and Abu Dhabi before the main schedule began.

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• 4. Play-In Format Determines Seeding

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  Teams ranked seventh through tenth in each conference competed in a Page playoff system tournament from April 11 to 14, 2023. This new format determined which teams would secure the final two spots in the postseason bracket. The seventh-place team hosted the eighth-place team in a double-chance round where one win was needed to advance. Teams finishing ninth and tenth required two wins to reach the playoffs while facing elimination if they lost their initial game. The loser of the double-chance round then hosted the winner of the elimination round to decide the eighth seed.

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• 5. Records Shattered On Court

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  LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history on the 7th of February 2023 during a game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored his milestone point with a fadeaway jumpshot over Kenrich Williams. Joel Embiid won the Most Valuable Player award after averaging thirty-three points per game for the Philadelphia 76ers. Damian Lillard became the eighth player to score seventy or more points in a single game twice that season. Nikola Jokić recorded twenty-nine triple-doubles while playing for the Denver Nuggets.

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• 6. Awards And New Trophies Given

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  Joel Embiid received the MVP trophy named after Michael Jordan while Jaren Jackson Jr. won Defensive Player of the Year honors. The league introduced the Maurice Podoloff Trophy to honor the team with the best overall regular season record starting this year. A new Clutch Player of the Year Award was also created to recognize players who perform well in critical moments. Malcolm Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year and Paolo Banchero took home Rookie of the Year awards. The Board of Governors approved the permanent adoption of the play-in tournament that had been tested in previous seasons.

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• 7. Broadcast Deals Face Disruption

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  Diamond Sports Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on the 14th of March 2023 affecting regional broadcasts for sixteen NBA teams. Warner Bros. Discovery intended to leave the regional sports networks business following financial struggles. The Miami Heat arena changed its name from FTX Arena to Kaseya Center on the 4th of April 2023 after the previous naming rights deal ended due to company bankruptcy. The Clippers launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service called ClipperVision in October 2022 to carry non-national games directly to fans.

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