Basketball is a fast paced game where athleticism and highly skilled players can dominate. It is highly entertaining and enjoyed by many people throughout the world. The game has truly evolved over the past 30-40 years due to the three point shot and the level of athleticism that so many players have.
The game can be played year round due to it being played in a gym. The weather is not a barrier and those that love basketball look for any opportunity to play and develop their game.
How many basketball games in a season?
The NBA plays an 82 game regular season followed by their playoffs which start in April and end in June. Overall the best teams may play closer to 100 games in total. The number of games vary from level to level.
Below we will provide a complete breakdown of the number of basketball games in a season for each level of basketball from youth to the NBA.
How many games in a season – NBA
As noted above, the NBA season has typically been 82 games. The NBA has played 82 games consistently since the 1961-1962 season. There have been several exceptions due to a lockout over the collective bargaining agreement between the players and the union. This last occurred in the 2011-2012 season when they only played 66 regular season games.
Many people see the layoff time in the NBA as the real entertainment. Each round is now a seven game series and there are three rounds before getting to the NBA championship best of seven series. Due to the length of the playoff season, a player like LeBron James, who played in 8 consecutive NBA finals and 13 consecutive postseasons has played well over 235 career postseason games. This is just about equal to an additional 3 seasons worth of games.
One of the concerns about the length of the season from a player’s perspective is that it increases a chance for injury, which can reduce the length of a players career and the overall ability to maximize their dollars earned. Teams started sitting some of their star players in back to back games with some excuse of injury. The NBA has tried to crack down on this by putting certain rules in place. Ultimately, teams were trying to ensure their best players were ready for when it truly matters the most, the postseason.
There has been a certain level of discussion about reducing the total number of games played in an NBA season. Recently, the overall timeframe of the season has expanded with games starting earlier in the month of October. As contract negations arise in the NBA, this will continue to be a topic of conversation as teams want to maximize revenue and players want to maximize career length and money earned.
How many games in a season – NCAA
The NCAA allows their teams to play up to 31 regular season games. There are limitations on tournaments and other restrictions that impact the schedule.
Their tournament season is also much less compared to the NBA due to the 64 team tournament being a one and done with you lose. Following this single elimination format, the teams in the championship will play a maximum of 6 games, with all other teams playing somewhere between 1-5 games.
This is a significant difference from the NBA where just to get past the first round, it may take 6 to 7 games on top of the 82 already played.
When players get to the NBA, teams have to worry about the long season and the wear and tear on the body. This shorter seasons at the college level helps produce a different style game where the intensity on defense is greater.
Teams and players, due to the lesser amount of games, play all out on a game by game basis. Where with the NBA you get the occasional non important game and the intensity is different for sure.
How many games in a season – High School
The typical high school across America is going to play a 20-35 game season depending on the playoff format for the state tournament. There are examples of teams playing 40-50 games at some of the private schools who may not be a member of their state association.
These teams are usually loaded with Division I prospects and can sometimes travel the country play games against the other high end prep schools. Some might argue that this over usage will hurt the players in the long run, while others will highlight the experience and the exposure that their athletes will gain in front of Division I coaches.
Other teams that play the more typical high school schedule of 20-35 games will average around 2 games per week, sometime between December and the middle of March. This schedule allows student-athletes to ensure they have time for their academics as well.
High school basketball is similar in intensity to college basketball as the teams are not playing a massive schedule. This allows the players to go all out for every game and you will see players diving on the floor for loose balls, playing great team defense and mixing it up all throughout the court. While the NBA has the best talent on earth, the ball movement and defense at the high school and college level is something that the basketball purists love to watch.
High school basketball started to change around the time that LeBron James was in high school in the late 1990’s. ESPN start to broadcast games and level of stardom that Lebron James had reached before playing his last high school game was incredible. There is more and more attention paid to high school basketball. The often debate topic of if players should be able to enter straight into the NBA will be a point of discussion in the next several year and probably always remain a hot topic.
How many games in a season – AAU
The number of AAU games will range greatly depending on the level of a team that a kid joins. Parents must be careful with AAU and explore whether a team has the best interest of the players on the team and their overall development or if it is more about the money that can be made. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have both expressed concerns over AAU basketball and warn about the poor coaching, the money that it takes and ensuring your kid is in a good situation.
AAU basketball typically takes place in the spring and the fall with different national showcase tournaments being held. Some kids get the opportunity to play for the big shoe sponsored teams and travel the country playing against the other top players in the country. This bond that players are able to form carry over into the NBA and we saw the result of this in 2010 when LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in Miami after first meeting and getting to know each other through AAU ball and other connections.
How many games in a season – Middle School
Middle School basketball is in a difficult spot with the popularity of travel basketball and AAU basketball. Some states restrict the total number of middle school games to be around 15. This is after some kids have become accustomed to playing 50-60 games at the travel level.
For some, middle school can feel like a step backwards, not only in the number of games, but also in the level of competition. The more serious basketball player will start their AAU season at the completion of their middle school season.
How many games in a season – Youth
Youth basketball has exploded. In the past decades, youth may have played in their local recreation league and then maybe a tournament or two with the best players from their recreation league. Now, travel teams are built and can play up to 60 games in a year once all the games from league and tournaments are added up.
During the winter months, many locations throughout the United States have travel tournament taking place. Teams fill the local gyms and field house and compete in anywhere from 3-7 games on average. This means that some kids may be playing 5-10 games a week.
The major benefits to this are the on court experience that players are able to gain. Players now enter high school having potentially played over 100 games in their careers.
The court awareness is a major benefit, but parents must also be aware of over usage, leading to potential injuries and the fear or burn out in kids. Many professional athletes and college coaches speak to the benefit of kids playing multiple sports during their youth.
Some travel tournaments will have kids as young as 3rd grade playing. Coaches have to be realistic and make sure the proper fundamentals are being taught in practice and that the game remains fun. Often times, the over zealous coach or parent can ruin the youth level games for many of the kids.
Frequently Asked Questions…
Will my kid fall behind if he or she isn’t playing 60 games a year?
The goal of any youth sport is that the kid has fun, develops some skills and learn some valuable life lessons. We would recommend kids playing multiple sports and developing their love of the game. Keep in mind that there aren’t many division 1 scholarships given out in most sports. Kids should play because they love the experience.
If the kid isn’t having fun, parents should consider why their kid is playing. Many division 1 athletes are born with great size and athletic ability. No matter how hard the 5 foot 8 kid works, he is at a disadvantage. While there is alway the outlier the reality is that there are certain physical traits that kids usually have that advance and play basketball at the division 1 level.
Who has played the most games in the NBA?
Robert Parish holds the record at 1611 games, he is followed by Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitiki, and John Stockton. John Stockton is the only person in the top 5 without an NBA championship, although his Jazz did lose a heart breaker in Michael Jordan’s 6th NBA Championship victory.
Is the offseason in basketball important?
The off season is a great time for overall skill development. When kids are playing games at the numbers that is currently taking place at travel and AAU levels, the off season is a great time to work on the shot and the ball handling skills.
One of the major benefits of playing a ton of games it he court awareness and the speed at which kids can play. Perfecting the shot and increasing the ball handling skills will go a long way. Kids should also make sure they are developing their running, jumping and eye hand coordination. This can be done through a program or by playing other sports.
The benefit of playing other sports is that kids can continue to learn to compete and be part of a team.
Take Action…
Basketball is a great game. There are many opportunities for people of all ages to play and love the game. We must always take into consideration what is the appropriate number of games at different times in life. This is ultimately a personalized answer for each kid, adult and family. We have other articles on basketball that might interest you. To check them out, visit here.
The NBA season is a blast for those of us that love basketball. We get the opportunity to watch daily and take in the high level of athleticism and shooting that is not present in the NBA. The game is fun to watch due to the ability to put the ball in the hoop and the overall quality of basketball. Basketball is truly entertaining and fun to play. We understand why so many kids love the game. It is fun to play and watch!
