2020 NBA Draft Gift Locker

The NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm, will be the league’s first virtual draft and the first draft held at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. headquarters. Although this year’s draft is completely different and the first of its kind for the NBA, the league went above and beyond to make sure that NBA draft prospects received everything they needed going into tonight’s event. 58 players were asked to participate in the television broadcast which is more than double the 23 prospects who received “green room” invitations last year.

To help make the virtual NBA Draft and special night for each prospect, the NBA teamed up with Victory Creative Group to create an NBA Draft Gift Locker. 30 draft prospects received NBA Draft Gifting Lockers, featuring media kits (Microsoft Surface tablet, Beat Powerbeats Pro earbuds, iPhone with a tripod, Ring light, Beats Pill wireless speaker). The locker also includes 30 NBA team hats, personalized NBA Draft basketball, and gifts from other NBA partners including Spalding, New Era, Beats By Dr. Dre, and Oculus as well as a customized AR experience.

Take a look at the images below for a more in-depth look at the NBA Draft Gift Locker that players received ahead of the #NBADraft.

h/t NBA

NBA Announces Structure and Format for 2020-21 Season

Image via NBA

NEW YORK – The NBA today announced the structure and format for the 2020-21 season, which will include a Play-In Tournament to determine the teams that will fill the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference.

The NBA’s 75th regular season will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 22, and feature 72 games for each team.  The opponent breakdown for the regular season is available here and described below:

• Each team will play three games against each intraconference opponent (42 total games per team), with each pairing featuring either two home games and one road game or one home game and two road games. Within each team’s division, the league office has randomly assigned which two opponents will be played twice at home and which two opponents will be played twice on the road.

• All five teams from within a division will play all five teams from one other intraconference division twice at home, and all five teams from the remaining intraconference division twice on the road.

• Each team will play two games against each interconference opponent (30 total games per team), with each pairing featuring one home game and one road game.

The 2020-21 regular-season schedule will be released in two segments.  The schedule for the First Half of the season will be released around the start of training camp.  The schedule for the Second Half of the season will be released during the latter part of the First Half portion of the schedule.  The Second Half schedule will include the remainder of each team’s 72 games not scheduled in the First Half as well as any games postponed during the First Half that can reasonably be added to the Second Half schedule.

The All-Star break is scheduled to take place March 5-10, 2021, between the First Half and Second Half of the regular season.

Earlier today, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved a proposal to implement a playoff Play-In Tournament on a one-year basis for the 2020-21 season.  The Play-In Tournament, which will take place after the regular season and before the first round of the playoffs, will include the teams with the seventh-highest through the tenth-highest winning percentages in each conference.

The teams with the seventh-highest and eighth-highest winning percentages in each conference will each have two opportunities to win one game to earn a playoff spot.  The teams with the ninth-highest and tenth-highest winning percentages in each conference will each have to win two consecutive games to earn a playoff spot.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the team with the seventh-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the eighth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a Play-In Game (the “Seven-Eight Game”).  The winner of the Seven-Eight Game in each conference will be the seventh seed in the playoffs for its conference.

The team with the ninth-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the tenth-highest winning percentage in its conference in a Play-In Game (the “Nine-Ten Game”).  The loser of the Seven-Eight Game will host the winner of the Nine-Ten Game in a Play-In Game, and the winner of that game will be the eighth seed in the playoffs for its conference.

Below is the tentative schedule calendar for the 2020-21 season:

• Dec. 11-19, 2020: Preseason games

• Dec. 22, 2020 – March 4, 2021: First Half of regular season

• March 5-10, 2021: All-Star break

• March 11 – May 16, 2021: Second Half of regular season

• May 18-21, 2021: Play-In Tournament

• May 22 – July 22, 2021: 2021 NBA Playoffs

via NBA Communications

NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm®: By the Numbers

For Official Release

Orlando, FL – NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm® will be held virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. ET at ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, airing live on ESPN, ESPN Radio and the ESPN App.  ESPN’s pre-draft coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Image via NBA

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum will appear in studio at ESPN to announce the selections for the first and second rounds, respectively.  Select draftees, including many of the potential top picks, will appear virtually throughout the broadcast.

Here is a by-the-numbers look at this year’s NBA Draft:

History

• 1 – NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm® will be the league’s first virtual draft and the first draft held at ESPN.

• 7 – Seven players have played in the NBA G League before being drafted by an NBA team, the most recent being Alen Smailagić, the 39th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

• 10 – A college freshman has been selected with the first overall pick in each of the last 10 The last non-freshman to be the first overall draft pick was Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin in 2009.

• 14 – This marks the 14th consecutive year that Adam Silver will announce draft selections as either deputy commissioner (seven years) or commissioner (seven years including 2020).

• 107 – The distance between Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the venue for the last seven NBA Drafts, and ESPN’s studios in Bristol, Connecticut, the site of this year’s draft, is approximately 107

• 146 – The 2020 NBA Draft will take place 146 days after its originally scheduled date of June 25.

• 1975 – This is the first NBA Draft not held in June since 1975.

• 1989 – The current two-round format for the NBA Draft was adopted in 1989.

Teams

• 1 – The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to make the first overall pick in the NBA Draft for the second time. In 2015, the Timberwolves used the first overall pick to select two-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.

• 2 – The Warriors are poised to make the second overall pick in the NBA Draft for the first time in the common draft era (since 1966).

• 3 – The Boston Celtics hold three first-round picks (Nos. 14, 26 and 30) after making three first-round picks last year.

• 5 – The Philadelphia 76ers have a league-high five picks in this year’s draft (No. 21 in the first round and Nos. 34, 36, 49 and 58 in the second round).

• 11 – With the 11th selection of the first round, the San Antonio Spurs are preparing to make their highest draft pick since selecting Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in 1997.

Class Superlatives

• 1 – Memphis center James Wiseman was ESPN’s 1-ranked high school player in the Class of 2019.

• 6 – Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton recorded the sixth triple-double in school history during the 2019-20 season.

• 8 – USC forward Onyeka Okongwu matched a single-game school record last season with eight blocked shots in his first collegiate game.

• 16 – Maccabi Tel Aviv guard-forward Deni Avdija made his professional debut with his current team at age 16 (he turns 20 in January).

• 1 – Georgia guard Anthony Edwards was the nation’s freshman scoring leader at 19.1 points per game in the 2019-20 season.

• 107 – Dayton forward Obi Toppin, the 2019-20 consensus National Player of the Year, led the nation and set a single-season school record with 107 dunks last season.

• 2005 – Last season, Illawarra Hawks guard LaMelo Ball became the first player to post triple-doubles in back-to-back games in Australia’s National Basketball League since 2005.

 Family Ties

• 5 – Duke guard Tre Jones and his brother Tyus of the Memphis Grizzlies combined to win five Gatorade Minnesota Boys Basketball Player of the Year awards in high school.

• 6 – Arizona guard Nico Mannion is the son of Pace Mannion, who played six NBA seasons.

• 8 – Duke center Vernon Carey Jr.’s father, Vernon Sr., played eight NFL seasons as an offensive lineman with the Miami Dolphins.

• 12 – North Carolina guard Cole Anthony’s father, Greg, now a basketball analyst for Turner Sports, was the 12th pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.

• 16 – Washington forward Jaden McDaniels is the brother of Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, who appeared in 16 NBA games as a rookie in the 2019-20 season.

• 1,512 – Vanderbilt guard Saben Lee is the son of former Florida State All-America running back Amp Lee, who rushed for 1,512 yards in the NFL.

• 1982 – Maccabi Tel Aviv guard-forward Deni Avdija’s father, Zufer, won a bronze medal with Yugoslavia at the 1982 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

• 2000 – IMG Academy forward KJ Martin is the son of Kenyon Martin, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft.

• 6M – Illawarra Hawks guard LaMelo Ball, the brother of the New Orleans Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball, has more than 5.6 million followers on Instagram.

Global Game

• 3 – This year’s draft class has the potential to break the record (three) for most players from one Basketball Without Borders camp in the same draft. Killian Hayes (France), Josh Green (Australia), Leandro Bolmaro (Argentina), Paul Eboua (Cameroon) and Vit Krejčí (Czech Republic) all participated in BWB Global 2018 as part of NBA All-Star 2018.

• 5 – This year’s draft class has the potential to break the record (five) for most players from Africa selected in one NBA Draft.

• 7 – Seven players in this year’s draft class have ties to Nigeria. Kansas center Udoka Azubuike and Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa are from Nigeria, and an additional five potential draftees have at least one parent from Nigeria: Isaac Okoro (Auburn), Onyeka Okongwu (USC), Zeke Nnaji (Arizona), Daniel Oturu (Minnesota) and Jordan Nwora (Louisville).

• 7/22 – Deni Avdija and Killian Hayes are seeking to become the highest-drafted players ever from Israel and France, respectively. If Hayes is drafted in the top seven, he will be the highest-drafted French player ever. If Avdija is drafted in the top 22, he will be the highest-drafted Israeli player ever. Avdija and Hayes competed against one another at Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global 2019 as part of NBA All-Star 2019. Avdija was named MVP of the camp while Hayes was named an All-Star.

• 13 – There have been 13 international players drafted No. 1 overall, most recently the Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) in 2018.

• 27 – A record 27 international players were drafted in 2016, including a record 15 in the first round and a record-tying 12 in the second round.

• 69 – Since 2001, 69 former Basketball Without Borders campers have been drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents.

Partnership/Tech

• 17 – ESPN will deliver live look-ins from 17 team draft rooms.

• 18 – ESPN will present the NBA Draft for the 18th consecutive year.

• 19 – Nineteen broadcast satellite trucks will be used to help present the draft, including 15 trucks throughout the U.S. and four trucks internationally to connect with prospects located in France, Greece, Israel and Spain.

• 30 – In this unique year, 30 draft prospects received NBA Draft Gifting Lockers, which featured media kits (Microsoft Surface tablet, Beat Powerbeats Pro earbuds, iPhone with tripod, Ring light, Beats Pill wireless speaker) and a variety of products from NBA partners including Spalding, New Era, Beats By Dr. Dre and Oculus.

• 180 – More than 180 young people from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Learn Fresh, TAPS and Jr. NBA joined 30 Draft prospects for a NBA Cares “Road to Success” virtual community series presented State Farm® on Monday, discussing topics such as physical and mental wellness, leadership, activism, mentorship and more.

via NBA Communications

New NBA All-Star Game format makes every quarter count for Chicago charities

Image via David Dow/Getty Images

NEW YORK – The NBA announced today a new format for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game designed to increase the level of competition throughout the game, provide additional excitement at the finish and make the outcome of every quarter count for charity.

The changes include a new fourth-quarter format that will honor the late Kobe Bryant, who earned 18 NBA All-Star selections and a record-tying four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards.  Additional plans to honor Bryant during NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago will be announced at a later date.

In the 69th NBA All-Star Game, Team Giannis and Team LeBron will compete to win each of the first three quarters, all of which will start with the score of 0-0 and will be 12 minutes long.  At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a Final Target Score will be set.

The Final Target Score will be determined by taking the leading team’s total cumulative score through three quarters and adding 24 points – the 24 representing Bryant’s jersey number for the final 10 seasons of his NBA career.  The teams will then play an untimed fourth quarter and the first team to reach the Final Target Score will win the NBA All-Star Game.

For instance, if the cumulative score of the first three quarters is 100-95, the Final Target Score would be set at 124 points.  To win the NBA All-Star Game, the team with 100 points would need to score 24 points in the fourth quarter before the team with 95 points scores 29 points, and vice versa.  With no minimum or maximum time on the clock in the fourth quarter, the NBA All-Star Game will end with a made basket or a made free throw.

As part of NBA All-Star 2020, more than $1 million will be contributed to Chicago community non-profit organizations through NBA Cares outreach efforts.  These efforts will culminate during the NBA All-Star Game when each team will play for a Chicago-based charity beneficiary, as selected by team captains Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The community organization selected by the winner of each of the first three quarters will receive $100,000 – a total of $300,000 donated to charity for those three quarters.  The winner of each of the first three quarters will be the team with the higher score at the end of the 12-minute quarter.

The winning team in the NBA All-Star Game (i.e., the team that reaches the Final Target Score first) will earn $200,000 for its community organization.

If the first or second quarter ends in a tie, the $100,000 charity award for that quarter will be added to the next quarter’s award.  If the third quarter ends in a tie, the $100,000 charity award for that quarter will be added to the award of the team that wins the NBA All-Star Game.

If one team wins each of the first three quarters and reaches the Final Target Score first, $500,000 will be donated to the winning team’s charity and $100,000 will be donated to the losing team’s charity.

The 2020 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago, airing live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States.  The NBA All-Star Game will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

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Magic vs. Heat Preview: The Orlando Magic Push For 500 With Injuries In Their Frontcourt

What better way to start 2020 at home, than with a matchup between in-state rivals? In their second game of the new year, the Orlando Magic will face the Miami Heat on January 3rd, hoping to give the Heat their first loss of 2020. With Aaron Gordon listed as questionable with a sore left Achilles, and other key Magic players suffering from injuries, this game will be a test for the Magic as the number three team in the East, Miami Heat, are proving to be a top opponent in the NBA.

With a record of 15-19, the Orlando Magic are fighting to improve to .500 on the season, and continue their one-game winning streak after defeating the Washington Wizard on January 1st, with a final score of 122-101. D.J. Augustin will be going into this game coming off of a career-high 25 points with an added nine assists. Nikola Vucevic will also head into the matchup finishing the previous game with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando played a solid game against Washington, shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and shooting 12/32 from beyond the arch with 25 assists. But can they continue their solid gameplay against a resilient Miami Heat?

The Miami Heat will come into Orlando with a 25-9 record, having just defeated the Toronto Raptors 84-76 on the road. Being fourth in the NBA behind the Boston Celtics, the Heat have shown that they made smart decisions in the off-season picking up Jimmy Butler and putting together a rising rookie class that is averaging 32.2 points this season. But, will Jimmy Butler be the man of the hour? Averaging 20.8 points-per-game with 6.6 rebounds and assists, Butler is coming off of a 12 rebound and seven assist game against the Raptors, but only making two of ten from field goal range.

Image via Miami Herald

With Miami having a strong bench and critical role players in every position, Orlando must bring the same urgency and intensity they played with against Washington, back to Orlando for a chance to defeat the Heat. An excellent performance by the Magic bench and key stats from Evan Fournier (averaging 19.4 ppg) and Nikola Vucevic (averaging 18.2 ppg and 10.7 rpg) will play a significant role in the Magic's performance on Friday night.

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Image via Amway Center

Key Notes:

• Orlando is 10-7 this season at the Amway Center.

• The Magic were 25-16 last season at home (including two wins Dec. 13-15 in Mexico City). The 25 home wins were the most in a season for Orlando since 2010-11, where they went 29-12.

• The Orlando Magic are averaging 103.4 ppg. (3,517 points) this season, recorded 100+ points 20 times (11-9 record), 110+ points nine times (9-0 record), and 120+ points five times (5-0 record), including a season-high 130 points on Dec. 15 @ New Orleans.

• The Orlando Magic have made at least one three-point field goal in 1,018 consecutive games, dating back to March 17th, 2007 (last game without a three-pointer: March 14th, 2007 vs. Utah, 0-for-9). It stands as the fifth-longest active streak in the NBA.

• The HEAT has recorded a 20-plus point lead in the first quarter five times this season. 

• Miami has scored at least 70 first-half points five times this season, already the most for any season in franchise history. 

• The HEAT has recorded at least 30 assists seven times this season, the most through the first 33 games of a season in team history. 

• Miami has recorded a +11.9 scoring margin at home this season, the second-highest in the NBA. 

• Miami has totaled 3,709 points this season, the most through the first 33 games of a season in franchise history. 

• The HEAT has out-rebounded their opponents by double-digits in 12-of-16 home games this season.

• The HEAT is 21-1 this season when out-rebounding their opponent.