NBA Season Dates
The NBA season is broken up into parts that take place during the basketball year. It all starts with preseason games in October. Next is the NBA regular season, which usually lasts from October to April. Teams play 82 games on their regular-season schedule.
Once the regular season concludes, the Play-In Tournament kicks off to decide the last few spots for the NBA playoffs. The postseason runs several playoff rounds and ends with the NBA Finals in June.
The tables below break down the key dates of the NBA season and explain how the NBA calendar works, from preseason to the Finals.
Contents
NBA Season Timeline
Example NBA Season Dates
How Long Is the NBA Season?
Explore More NBA Coverage
NBA Season Timeline
Example NBA Season Dates
How Long Is the NBA Season?
NBA Game Guide
| NBA Topic | Key Question | What You’ll Learn | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBA Game Length | How long is an NBA game? | Breakdown of total game time including quarters, halftime, timeouts, and overtime. | View Guide |
| NBA Season Format | How many games are in an NBA season? | Explanation of the regular season structure and the total number of games played. | View Guide |
| NBA Quarters Explained | How long are NBA quarters? | Details on quarter length, game clock rules, and how the four-quarter format works. | View Guide |
| NBA Halftime Length | How long is halftime in the NBA? | Overview of halftime duration and what happens during the break in NBA games. | View Guide |
| NBA Overtime Rules | How long is NBA overtime? | Explanation of overtime periods and what happens when NBA games are tied. | View Guide |
| NBA Playoff Format | How do NBA playoffs work? | Structure of playoff rounds, best-of-seven series, and how teams advance. | View Guide |
| NBA Teams and Conferences | How many teams are in the NBA? | Overview of NBA teams, conferences, divisions, and league organization. | View Guide |
| NBA Season Timeline | When does the NBA season start and end? | Timeline of preseason, regular season, play-in tournament, playoffs, and Finals. | View Guide |
| NBA Standings Explained | How do NBA standings work? | How teams are ranked during the season and how playoff positions are determined. | View Guide |
| NBA Play-In Tournament | What is the NBA Play-In Tournament? | Explanation of the play-in format and how teams qualify for the postseason. | View Guide |
Explore More NBA Coverage
Explore NBA teams, arenas, cities, tickets, and postseason coverage across the league.
Browse the full NBA schedule, explore all NBA teams, discover arenas and cities across the league, and follow postseason coverage through the NBA Playoffs.
- NBA Hub - a central hub for NBA schedules, teams, arenas, cities, and postseason coverage across the league.
- NBA Schedule — View the full NBA season schedule, including upcoming games and matchups.
- NBA Teams — Explore all NBA teams, home arenas, and upcoming games.
- NBA Arenas — Browse arenas hosting NBA games across the United States and Canada.
- NBA Cities — Discover NBA games and arena locations by city.
- NBA Playoff Tickets — Browse ticket availability for NBA Playoff games and postseason matchups.
- NBA Tickets and VIP Packages — Browse upcoming NBA games and ticket availability across the league.
