On July 17, 2017,Paul Pierce signed a ceremonial contract with theBoston Celtics and officially retired as a Celtic after playing 19 seasons and winning one championship with the Celtics in 2008.[4]
On July 19, 2017,James Jones was announced to be the vice president of basketball operations for thePhoenix Suns, which signified his retirement after playing 14 seasons and winning two championships with theMiami Heat in 2012 and 2013 and one championship with theCleveland Cavaliers in 2016.[5]
On August 4, 2017,Jason Maxiell signed a ceremonial contract with theDetroit Pistons and officially retired after playing 10 seasons.[6]
On August 15, 2017,Tayshaun Prince was announced to be assistant general manager for theMemphis Grizzlies, which signified his retirement after playing 15 seasons and winning one championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.[7]
On September 2, 2017,Primož Brezec announced his retirement after 21 professional seasons. Brezec had played in Russia, Cyprus, Kuwait, and his native country Slovenia since last playing in the NBA during the2009–10 NBA season.[8]
On October 23, 2017,Metta World Peace was hired as player development coach for theSouth Bay Lakers, theLos Angeles Lakers'NBA G League affiliate, thus ending his 18-year playing career with the NBA. During his career, he won one NBA championship with the Lakers in 2010.
On November 20, 2017,Earl Barron became an assistant coach for the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League, thus ending his 14-year playing career. Barron played for seven NBA teams during his career, winning one championship with theMiami Heat in 2006.
On February 8, 2018,Caron Butler announced his retirement after 14 professional seasons. Butler won an NBA championship with theDallas Mavericks in 2011.[9]
On February 19, 2018,Tiago Splitter announced his retirement from basketball due to a hip injury. Splitter won an NBA championship with theSan Antonio Spurs in 2014.[10]
For the first time since the inauguration of theBAA, there would be no coaching changes going from the previous season to entering the regular season.[11] In fact, the 536 days fromDave Joerger being fired as coach of theMemphis Grizzlies to the day thePhoenix Suns firedEarl Watson as head coach would be the longest period in NBA history without any coaching changes occur. The last time no head coaches were hired in the off-season occurred during the1975–76 season.[12]
On October 22, 2017, thePhoenix Suns fired head coachEarl Watson and replaced him with the team's associate coachJay Triano as interim head coach for the rest of the season.[13]
On January 22, 2018, theMilwaukee Bucks fired head coachJason Kidd and replaced him with the team's assistant head coachJoe Prunty as interim head coach for the rest of the season.[15][16]
On August 9, 2017, the NBA announced that theBrooklyn Nets would play two regular season games atMexico City Arena inMexico City, Mexico. On December 7, the Nets played against theOklahoma City Thunder and on December 9, they matched up against theMiami Heat.[18] The Nets prevailed 100–95 over the Thunder in their first game, but lost to the Heat 101–89 in their second game.
The 2018 NBA playoffs began on April 14, 2018,ESPN aired the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals andTNT aired the 2018 Western Conference Finals. For the first time since1979 both Conference Finals series went to a deciding Game 7. The season ended with the 2018 NBA Finals which began on May 31, 2018, and ended on June 8, 2018, onABC.
Awards were presented at the NBA Awards ceremony, which were held on June 25. Finalists for voted awards were announced during the playoffs and winners were presented at the award ceremony. TheAll-NBA Teams were announced in advance in order for teams to have all the necessary information to make off-season preparations.
This was theDetroit Pistons' first season atLittle Caesars Arena after playing atThe Palace of Auburn Hills from 1988 to 2017. The team played their first game there on October 4, 2017, in a preseason game against theCharlotte Hornets, the first regular season game there was played on October 18, 2017, also against the Hornets. This also marked the first time the Pistons have regularly played in the city ofDetroit since1978, and the first time they have shared an arena with theNHL'sDetroit Red Wings since1961.[82]
This was theMilwaukee Bucks' final season at theBradley Center, their home since 1988. The team played its final regular season game there on April 9 against theOrlando Magic, and the final playoff game there was played on April 26 against theBoston Celtics. The team moved into the newFiserv Forum prior to the start of the 2018–19 NBA season.[83] The team played a "Return to the MECCA" game at theUW–Milwaukee Panther Arena (the former Milwaukee or "MECCA" Arena, their home from 1968 until 1988) on October 26 against the Celtics as part of the team's 50th season celebration.[84]
As part of a new partnership withNike to be the league's official jersey supplier, the NBA eliminated "home" and "away" uniform designations. In their place, teams' white uniforms have been designated as "Association" uniforms, and their color uniforms have been designated as "Icon" uniforms. Teams also unveiled two alternative uniforms, designated as "Statement" and "City" uniforms.[87][88][89]
On July 1, 2017, the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement formed new health panels to prevent aReggie Lewis situation from happening with the salary cap.
On July 6, 2017, the NBA unveiled an update to its logo, featuring new typography and a modified color scheme.[91]
The regular season started eight days earlier than the previous season. This move by the NBA aims for fewer games on consecutive nights, even fewer than the previous season which had already reached an all-time low to help address teams that were "resting" their superstars.[1]
The NBA decreased the maximum number of timeouts in a regulation game from 18 to 14. The three team timeouts during the last two minutes of the game were also decreased to two per team in the last three minutes to improve the flow and pace of the game.[92]
The trade deadline was moved from four days after theNBA All-Star Game to ten days before it, so teams can settle their rosters before the All-Star break.[93]
Free-throw shooters were assessed a delay-of-game violation if they venture outside of the three-point line in between attempts.[94]
The NBA also addedtwo-way contracted players, signifying an increasing partnership between the NBA and theNBA Developmental League (which, despite its rebranding withPepsiCo sponsorship, is legally listed as the Developmental League in the collective bargaining agreement).[95]
Referees can now assess dangerous closeouts of defenders to jump shooters with little space to land for atechnical or aflagrant foul. Informally dubbed as the "Zaza Pachulia rule".[96][97] Also, officials can now assess if a player is in a shooting motion when determining if a perimeterfoul is a shooting or a common foul. The type of foul was determined on the sequencing of the player's movement if the foul happens before or after the player starts a shooting motion. Additionally, they can also assess an offensive foul if an offensive player intentionally lunges into the defender or locks arms to create contact, a rule informally dubbed as the "Harden rule".[98][99]
On September 28, 2017, the NBA board of governors approved the changes to the draft lottery system to discourage teams fromlosing on purpose. Starting with the2018–19 NBA season, the teams with the three worst records had equal odds at the #1 pick. In addition, the revised draft lottery consisted of selecting the top four teams instead of the usual three that occurred for over two decades.[100] The approval for the change was nearly unanimous, with only theOklahoma City Thunder voting against the change and theDallas Mavericks abstaining from voting.[101]
On October 3, 2017, the NBA andNBPA announced the changes to theNBA All-Star Game format. The vote leaders for each conferences were assigned as team captains and were able to select players from the rest of the starters and the reserves, regardless of the conference they play in, to form their own teams. The newly formed teams also played for a charity of choice to help the games remain competitive. This marked the first time, the conferences did not play against each other since the inaugural All-Star game. Selection process remained the same.[102]
On October 18, 2017,Brooklyn Nets point guardJeremy Lin fell to the ground hard after making a layup when playing theIndiana Pacers, causing him to miss the entire season. He suffered a ruptured patellar tendon of his right knee.
That same day, in the season opening game for thePortland Trail Blazers andPhoenix Suns, the Trail Blazers would defeat the Suns 124–76 in what would be the greatest deficit for a season-opening game in league history.
On October 25, 2017, theCleveland Cavaliers'LeBron James, normally a frontcourt player, recorded his 56th career triple-double and 1st career triple-double as starting point guard.
On October 28, 2017,Oklahoma City Thunder point guardRussell Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to record a triple double against all 29 opposing teams.
On November 3, 2017,LeBron James scored 57 points for the night and his 29,000th career point, becoming the youngest player, and just the seventh overall, to reach that mark (32 years, 309 days). LeBron James also passed both Kevin Garnett for 12th on the NBA's all-time field goals list (with 10,506 career field goals to his name) and passed John Havlicek for 11th on the NBA's all-time field goals list with 10,514 career field goals.
On November 7, 2017,Ben Simmons became the only player in NBA history with at least 170 points, 100 rebounds and 80 assists in his team's first 10 games.[104]
On November 7, 2017, theSacramento Kings set a record for most points scored before a starter scored. The King's bench scored the team's first 29 points beforeWillie Cauley-Stein scored a free throw at 4:08 of the second quarter. The previous record was held by theMilwaukee Bucks at 23 points set on April 5, 2011, against theOrlando Magic.[105]
On November 11, 2017,Lonzo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 20 years and 15 days old. He recorded 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. The previous record holder wasLeBron James' at 20 years and 20 days old.[106]
On November 14, 2017, theBoston Celtics became the first team in NBA history to win at least 13 straight games after starting the season 0–2.[107] The winning streak ended at 16 when they lost to theMiami Heat on November 22, 2017.[108]
On November 15, 2017, theAtlanta Hawks set a franchise record for their largest margin of victory in a win against theSacramento Kings at 46 points, 126–80. The previous record was set on February 12, 1965, at a 44-point margin when the St. Louis Hawks beat theBaltimore Bullets, 144–100.[109]
On November 28, 2017, LeBron James was ejected for the first time in his career after contesting a non-call following a drive to the basket against theMiami Heat. He had gone 1,081 games without disqualification.[110]
On December 1, 2017,Donovan Mitchell of theUtah Jazz set a rookie franchise record after scoring 41 points against theNew Orleans Pelicans. So far, it is the highest scoring game for a rookie this season.[111]
On December 4, 2017, Stephen Curry hit his 2,000th career three-pointer. He became the fastest to reach the milestone at 597 games, 225 games fewer thanRay Allen, the previous record-holder.[113]
On December 25, 2017, in a win against theCleveland Cavaliers,Draymond Green became the sixth player in NBA history to record a triple double on Christmas Day.
On January 23, 2018,LeBron James scored his 30,000th point at the age of 33 years old and 24 days surpassingKobe Bryant as the youngest player to do so, as well as being just the 7th player to join the 30,000-point club. Additionally, he became the first player in NBA history with 30,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists.[122]
On January 27, 2018, Carmelo Anthony became the 21st player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points.[123]
On January 28, 2018,Manu Ginóbili and Vince Carter, marked the first time in NBA history that two 40 year-old players scored 15 points or more in the same game with Ginóbili scoring 15 points and Carter scoring 21 points.[124]
On January 30, 2018,James Harden becomes the first player in NBA history to record a triple-double with at least 60 points scored in a game, he recorded 60 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. This marks the highest scored points for a player with a triple-double. He also set a franchise scoring record that was previously held byCalvin Murphy.[125]
On February 5, 2018,Dirk Nowitzki became the 6th player in NBA history to reach 50,000 minutes played. He also surpassedElvin Hayes for top 5 in the process. Coincidentally, his name was incorrectly spelled as "Nowitkzi" on his jersey.[126]
On February 12, 2018,T. J. McConnell of the Philadelphia 76ers recorded a triple-double while coming off the bench, this marks the first time in franchise history that a reserve recorded a triple-double. He recorded 10 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds while also adding a career-high 6 steals.[127]
On February 15, 2018,Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets recorded the fastest triple-double in NBA history, with his feat in fourteen minutes and 33 seconds, beating previous record holderJim Tucker's time of seventeen minutes set in 1955.[128]
On February 27, 2018, LeBron James became the only player in NBA history with at least 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists.[129]
On February 28, 2018, Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to reach31,000 career points.[130]
On March 6, 2018, Carmelo Anthony passedJerry West and moved to 20th on the NBA all-time scoring list.[131]
On March 18, 2018, Carmelo Anthony passedReggie Miller and moved to 19th on the NBA all-time scoring list.[132]
On March 19, 2018, Vince Carter passed Patrick Ewing for 22nd on the NBA all-time scoring list.[133]
That same day, the Miami Heat beat theDenver Nuggets in a classic double-overtime, scoring 149–141 and setting a franchise record for most points in a game. This is also the highest score made a team in this season, surpassing 148 points made byHouston Rockets andOklahoma City Thunder earlier in the season.[134]
On March 21, 2018,Dwight Howard became the ninth player in NBA history to record at least 30 points and 30 rebounds in a game. He led theCharlotte Hornets to victory against theBrooklyn Nets with 32 points and 30 rebounds.[135]
On March 22, 2018, the Charlotte Hornets beat theMemphis Grizzlies with a margin of 61 points, the most in the last 20 years. It was also a Hornets franchise record, the final scores were 140–79.[137]
On March 30, 2018, LeBron James brokeMichael Jordan's record for consecutive games with at least 10 points. James scored in double digits for 867 consecutive games and finished the game with 27. On the same game, he also tiedKobe Bryant's record for third-most 20-point games in NBA history with 941.[138]
On April 3, 2018, theLos Angeles Clippers defeated theSan Antonio Spurs 113–110 to give the Spurs their 33rd loss of the season, thus ending their record streak of 18 consecutive 50 win seasons.[139]
On April 4, 2018Wayne Ellington of theMiami Heat made his 207th three-pointer of the season as a reserve, setting an NBA record for the most three-pointers made in a season by a player off the bench. The previous record of 206 three-pointers was set byEric Gordon last year.[140]
For the first time since the1996-97 NBA season, two teams played their last game against each other for the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. TheMinnesota Timberwolves defeated theDenver Nuggets 112–106 in overtime to clinch the final playoff seed in the west. This also ended Minnesota's 13-year drought without a playoff appearance having last played in2003–04 season.[141]
On April 6, 2018,LeBron James became youngest player to score 31,000 career points at 33 years and 97 days and the 7th player in NBA history to do so. He achieved the record by finishing 44 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a losing effort againstPhiladelphia 76ers, 132–130.[142]
On April 11, 2018,Markelle Fultz became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double at 19 years and 317 days old. He recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, surpassing the record held byLonzo Ball earlier in the season.[143]
