The NBA runs non-stop once it starts its season, with games even being played on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. However, November 7, will see the league field no games, giving all 30 teams the night off. This is for good reason as well, as the NBA is promoting its viewers to go out and vote for Election Day.
While the country will field its General Election in 2024 to decide the next President of the country, the 2023 Election includes gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.
The NBA understands the power it wields, as fielding games would not only deter any active player from going out and voting, but it would also give fans a reason to stay inside and not perform their electoral duty. Whether or not a move like this boosts voting rates or not cannot be determined, but it definitely sends the right message to its viewers. Voting is a constitutional right that the forefathers of the country fought for, so every citizen should be encouraged to exercise that right.
Outside of Election Day, the NBA will have an empty slate of games this season on three other occasions. The first is Thanksgiving and the second is Christmas Eve. At least it’s followed up by the best regular season night of the year, the Christmas Day Games. The final occasion comes on April 8, 2024, as the NBA lets NCAA Basketball take center stage with the Men’s Championship Game at the end of March Madness.
If you need a break from basketball, take it now, as we’re going to be in the full swing of the season after this one-day break.
Why Does The NBA Not Play On Thanksgiving?
Usually, in a non-election year, the NBA has two days that it won’t field games. The first is obviously, Christmas Eve where no American sports league plays games as teams are spending time with their families.
The second day has been Thanksgiving since 2010. During the 2011 NBA lockout, the league didn’t resume the season until Christmas Day, which ultimately led to Thanksgiving Games disappearing. There have been no scheduled games on Thanksgiving in the last 12 seasons, letting the NFL take the majority of the headlines on that day. In return, the NFL would usually not host games on Christmas.
Since last year, the NFL started hosting games on Christmas Day, which broke this unsaid agreement that the NBA had operated under. Regardless, the NBA has made sure its personnel get Thanksgiving off to spend time with their families. The league also avoids competition from bigger TV ratings draws such as the NFL and
The last NBA games played on Thanksgiving came with a TNT doubleheader on November 25, 2010, which featured a meeting between the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks followed by a game between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.
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