Lockout ends, but plans for future are hectic

Christmas Day 2011 might be the merriest Christmas that any basketball fan has ever had. After the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in Game Six of the NBA finals, basketball was as popular as ever. An upset had occurred in an exciting NBA final, but quickly, the league's popularity sank because of a 149 day lockout. The NBA 2011-12 season was doubtful; however, a deal between the players and the owners was reached, and it is agreed that the season will begin on Christmas day. The Grinch did not steal Christmas after all.


With little time between the agreement of the deal in late November and December 25th, free agency will have to be a quick process. Contracts are not allowed to be signed until December 9th, but rumors of possible trades are already spreading. Dwight Howard, a center from the Orlando Magic, is coveted by many teams. The New Jersey Nets are already willing to offer center Brook Lopez and two future first round draft choices for Dwight Howard.

The upcoming 2011-12 season will be a shortened 66 game regular season, but the lack of games doesn’t matter to the players or fans. They are just happy that basketball is back. "We are thrilled that a tentative agreement has been reached and are looking forward to getting back to work and playing basketball," Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat said in an official statement. To make the season even more interesting, two more games will be added to the original three that are shown on Christmas. One of those games will be a rematch of the NBA finals with Dallas hosting Miami.

With a wacky schedule coming up, this may be one of the more memorable NBA seasons. It is not very often that fans open presents while watching the NBA players take the court for the first time in over six months.