Some NBA dates to keep in mind…
I was just browsing the A.P. wire – oh the things we journalists do for fun! – and came across this dates-to-remember list for the NBA season.
So, I’m marking my calendar (and making some snide remarks) …
Sept. 26 — Fall camps tip off for teams heading overseas. (This, of course, includes the Utah Jazz, who are playing in London and Spain next month; the Chicago Bulls (Utah’s foe in England); and Denver and Indiana, who’ll play in China. The thing to watch from all of these games is whether or not Carlos Boozer huddles up with his beloved Chicago team while wearing a Jazz uniform.)
Sept. 29 — Camps open for everyone else. (See how lucky we are to get an extra three days of coverage and practice? Remember this if we have a Bulls-Jazz Finals rematch … or Jazz-Pacers … or Nuggets-Bulls … or Nuggets-Pacers.)
Oct. 23 — End o’ preseason. (And front-office personnel from European teams and D-League squads start circling NBA rosters like sharks waiting for the cast-offs.)
Oct. 26 — Opening-day rosters finalized. (Will Utah’s include Carlos Boozer? Ronald Dupree? Greg Ostertag? Stay tuned….)
Oct. 27 — 2009-10 regular season tips off. (Not for Utah, though. Jazz play in Denver the next night.)
Jan. 5 — Teams can sign players to 10-day contracts. (Greg Ostertag anyone?)
Jan. 10 — Contracts guaranteed for rest of year. (Performances worth the same amount of cash are not guaranteed, sorry.)
Feb. 12-15 — All-Star Weekend in Dallas. (Maybe they can simultaneously hold the Bryon Russell-Michael Jordan Spout-off/Shout-out/Shootout Geezers Grudge Match in the new Cowboys Stadium, otherwise known as The Only Building In The World Big Enough To Contain Michael Jordan’s Ego. … The stipulation being, of course, that Jerry Jones’ ego cannot be contained in the massive sports hangar at the same time.)
Feb. 18 — Trade deadline. (Here’s guessing a certain power forward in Utah not named Paul Millsap has this date – including the 1 p.m. deadline – circled on his calendar.)
April 14 — Regular season concludes. (Also when a certain power forward in Utah not named Paul Millsap pronounces himself 100 percent healthy for the offseason.)
April 17 — Playoffs begin. (Some players refer to their fishing vacations as the “playoffs.”)
April 25 — Early entry deadline. (Could be heretofore known as “The Day Tyler Haws Went Shawn Bradley On BYU.”)
May 18 — Draft lottery. (Jazz hope to own some pingpong balls from New York – and preferably none from the Beehive State – on this date.)
June 3 — NBA Finals tip off. (So, will it be Jazz-Bulls, Jazz-Pacers, Nuggets-Bulls or Nuggets-Pacers?)
June 14 — Withdrawal deadline for early entries. (Hmmm….sophomore season at BYU or rookie season with the Jazz via the Knicks’ pick?)
June 24 — 2010 NBA Draft. (Jazz fans/front office keeping fingers crossed they don’t have two lottery picks on this night.)