How many games are in the NBA season? Looking at the history of the 82-game schedule

The 2024-25 NBA season is finally coming up next month! 80 of the 82 games for the Portland Trail Blazers schedule have been announced, with the other two depending on the NBA Cup. The NBA officially implemented an 82-game schedule in the 1967-68 season. A significant reason for this was the expansion of two NBA teams, the San Diego Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics. Before that, the NBA's regular season games varied between 66 and 80 games played. But whether or not the NBA should keep its 82-game regular season is a polarizing topic.

Should the NBA shorten the season?

They should consider shortening the season to preserve player health and prevent load management. Last season, in an attempt to encourage the league's best players to be on the court as often as possible, the NBA introduced a new rule requiring players to participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for end-of-season awards.

It's still too early to definitively say if this rule change has had its intended effect. Regardless, it's great that the NBA knows the need to address the load management issue. This is especially important given that they are unlikely to reduce the number of regular season games anytime soon, as they are financially incentivized to have 82 games to maximize their revenue.

How the 82-game schedule impacts the Portland Trail Blazers

Since the SuperSonics left Seattle in 2008, the Portland Trail Blazers have been the only NBA team in the Pacific Northwest. It can be viewed as a disadvantage in terms of scheduling and travel. For instance, one of the main takeaways from the Blazers' 2024-25 schedule is that they have to fly the most miles out of any team in the league. That becomes even more tiresome and disadvantageous throughout an 82-game season.

However, for the next couple of seasons, the rebuilding Blazers could benefit from the long season. The Blazers only have one player who is 30 years or older (Jerami Grant), and most long-term core players are 25 years or younger. An essential aspect of player development is getting real in-game minutes and gaining experience to improve through growing pains and challenges.