Here are the top storylines of the 2019-20 NBA season so far
It’s officially been one month since the 2019-20 NBA season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and we’re all still itching for some basketball.
The latest news out of the NBA is essentially no news.
But there was some good news for the players this week:
NBA will pay players full checks on April 15, league tell teams in a memo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2020
And teams are joining forces to see if the NBA Draft can be moved back:
Reporting with @wojespn: NBA teams are encouraging the league office to push the date of the NBA Draft, scheduled June 25, to at least August 1 https://t.co/2IsME1ecwJ
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 10, 2020
Outside of that, we’re not quite sure when the season will return – if at all.
With that, let’s take a refresher course on the season that was, with our top storylines from the 2019-20 NBA season so far (in no particular order):
NBA legend Kobe Bryant passes away
The world was rocked on Jan. 26 when Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash that not only claimed his life, but the life of his daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers.
Former and current players, along with public figures across the world, reacted to Bryant’s death on social media and sent condolences to the Bryant family, and nearly a month later, a memorial was held for him at STAPLES Center, which featured guest speakers from Michael Jordan to Geno Auriemma.
His wife, Vanessa, delivered a heartfelt eulogy:
“I want my daughters to know and remember the amazing person, husband and father he was.”
Vanessa Bryant remembers Kobe. pic.twitter.com/GpSke07SGS
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 24, 2020
Former teammate and Laker legend Shaquille O’Neal shared a funny story about the late Bryant:
“I said ‘Kobe, there’s no I in team.’ and he said ‘I know, but there’s an M-E in that m***********'”@shaq tells the funny story of when he really gained respect for Kobe. pic.twitter.com/VW2CjrWyfb
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) February 24, 2020
And his idol and mentor, Michael Jordan, realized that Kobe pulled a fast one on him once again:
“I’m gonna have to look at another crying meme” -Michael Jordan pic.twitter.com/7SDIncQK4Z
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) February 24, 2020
The season is suspended
An exciting 2019-20 NBA season was put on hold on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA announced that play would be suspended, as local governments and the federal government figure out the best course of action to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
“The NBA will use this hiatus to determine their next steps moving forward in regards to the coronavirus.”@RobStoneONFOX delivers an update on the latest impact of the pandemic ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NAAE8juiaV
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 12, 2020
The first player to be diagnosed with COVID-19 was Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, followed by his teammate Donovan Mitchell.
Players from around the NBA react after the league suspended the 2019-20 season indefinitely due to concerns regarding COVID-19.https://t.co/zgcU4nl8Gv
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 12, 2020
Soon after, players across the league began to test positive for the virus, including Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.
Currently, there is no plan for play to resume on the court, but the NBA is trying its best to keep fans engaged while the suspension continues.
One way the NBA is hoping to entertain fans is with a live H-O-R-S-E competition, that will take place on ESPN on April 12 at 7 p.m. ET.
Sources: The NBA and ESPN plan to televise a HORSE competition is nearing completion and among those expected to participate include Chris Paul, Trae Young and Zach LaVine. Competition will also include a couple of WNBA players and recent NBA alumni.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 8, 2020
Zion makes his push for Rookie of the Year
No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson entered the league with the most hype since LeBron James in 2003.
After suffering a torn meniscus in the preseason, Williamson didn’t make his debut until January 22 – but when he arrived, he arrived with a bang.
As the season continued, he showed no signs of rust after missing the first 44 games of the season.
Before play was suspended, in 19 games, Williamson was averaging 23.6 points on 58.9 percent shooting, as well as 6.8 rebounds.
His two months of play was spectacular enough to vault him into the Rookie of the Year race – but he faced some stiff competition for the award.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie point guard Ja Morant has been stellar since the start of the season, averaging 17.6 points and 6.9 assists while leading the Grizzlies to the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff standings with less than 20 games to go.
The King is still the King
After an injury-plagued inaugural season in Los Angeles, LeBron James had redemption on his mind coming into the 2019-2020 season. People had begun to wonder if his reign atop the league was finally coming to an end. Was the King finally washed?
He answered those questions with his actions, averaging 25.7 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists.
Those numbers have James squarely in the MVP conversation, and his latest performance against reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the King’s case.
James has been phenomenal, but a huge part of the Lakers’ success this season can be credited to the addition of their second superstar, Anthony Davis.
Davis leads the Lakers in scoring, pouring in 26.7 points per game. He’s also grabbing a team-high 9.4 rebounds per game and is a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Still, it is James who has been the catalyst for the Lakers’ 49-14 record, which is the best in the Western Conference.
He also passed the late Kobe Bryant on the all-time scoring list on January 25, less than a day before Bryant’s tragic death.
17 years in the making ?@KingJames passes Kobe for 3rd on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list! pic.twitter.com/vSleBDGChQ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 26, 2020
An All-Star Game for the ages
The NBA All-Star Game got spicy this season when a new wrinkle was thrown into the mix.
For the second year in a row, LeBron and Giannis drafted the two All-Star squads.
This season, however, scoring would be different.
Each of the first three quarters would serve as a mini-game, with the score being reset to 0-0 after each quarter. Whichever team scored the most points in a quarter would earn $100,000 for a charity of its choice.
Then, to begin the fourth quarter, the teams’ total points across the three quarters would be added up, and then 24 – in honor of the late Bryant – would be added to the score of the team with the most total points. That score became the target score to win the game.
At the end of three quarters, Team Giannis led Team LeBron, 133-124, so the target score to win was 157.
These new rules resulted in one of the most competitive All-Star Games in NBA history.
Team LeBron would emerge victorious, resulting in James’ third victory in a row since the All-Star game switched to a captain-based, draft format.
Second-year superstars
Last season, Luka Doncic and Trae Young took the NBA by storm in their rookie years, finishing first and second in Rookie of the Year voting, respectively.
In their second seasons, both players turned their star potential into reality, and Doncic and Young, both 21, were each selected as starters for the All-Star Game.
Doncic has the Dallas Mavericks firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture, with averages of 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.
Although not in the playoff picture, Young is averaging 29.6 points and 9.3 assists.
Bryant, Duncan and Garnett are immortalized
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announcement is routinely one of the most important moments during the NBA season, and this year’s class is arguably the best the Hall has ever seen, headlined by Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Congratulations to the 2020 Hall of Fame class ?? pic.twitter.com/Y9B9KyWeUF
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) April 4, 2020
Bryant, Duncan, and Garnett have a combined 11 championships, 5 NBA Finals MVP awards, and 4 regular season MVP awards between them.
“The class of 2020: the greatest Hall of Fame class in basketball history“@Chris_Broussard congratulates this year’s group and gives his top 5 NBA Hall of Fame classes of all time ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/53aeKuA2pl
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) April 4, 2020
Season Highlights
We’re sure we didn’t get to everything. So, just for good measure, here are some of the best plays from the 2019-20 season:
We hope this video expands in the coming months.
