NBA News Update: League planning a Christmas-day start for the 2020-21 season, Stephen A Smith comes to the defense of LeBron James and super-agent Rich Paul

Following the successful conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA season in the Orlando bubble, there is a lot of speculation about the start of the next season of the competition. In this latest edition of the NBA news update, we will take a look at the league's plans for next season and about Stephen A Smith coming to LeBron James and his agent's defense.

NBA News Update: League considering a Christmas-day start for 2020-21 season

Fans celebrate in Los Angeles after LA Lakers won the 2019-20 NBA title.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA made an exemplary effort to complete their 2019-20 season.

The LeBron James-led LA Lakers won a record-equaling 17th championship in a season that saw basketball being played in a bubble in the Disney World campus in Orlando.

With the meeting of the NBA's board of governors set to take place soon, the start date for the next season could be announced in the next few weeks.

According to ESPN, the league is reportedly planning to start on Christmas Day to take advantage of an auspicious occasion that has historically pulled in record viewership. However, a seemingly more feasible timeline is also being considered for the league's start: the Martin Luther King Day weekend in mid-January.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has hinted that the plan is to play an 82-game season and playoffs with fans in home arenas.

ESPN reporting with @WindhorstESPN, @ZachLowe_NBA and me on NBA Board of Governors meeting underway today to discuss plans for 2020-21 season, including possible start date as soon as Christmas Day: https://t.co/1ZR9ESSy7r

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2020

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Stephen A Smith hits back at the agent who criticized LeBron James and the latter's agent Rich Paul

2020 NBA Finals - Game Six

LeBron James and his agent Rich Paul are close friends, and the latter is known to represent a lot of high-profile players. Recently, an anonymous agent had accused Paul of misrepresenting some NBA stars citing the following issue:

"It’s illegal for a player, particularly if you’re in the state of California, to be licensed to represent talent."

However, media personality Stephen A Smith was irked by the aforementioned comments and expressed his displeasure on the criticism LeBron James and Paul received in the popular basketball talk show 'First Take'. He was quoted as saying in this regard:

"I think it is jealousy, and I think the people are crying over spilled milk. If rules are being broken and violated, that is a conversation I wanna listen to. When you are doing the same thing the others are doing, and others have tried to do but are better at it, then that's not what I wanna hear."

Rich Paul has followed a similar career path to LeBron James', rising from humble beginnings to becoming one of the most coveted agents in the NBA. Apart from LeBron James, some of the other players Paul represents are the LA Lakers duo of Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Rich Paul’s rise to NBA power:🔳 Sold jerseys out of his trunk in Cleveland🔳 Got @KingJames a Magic Johnson throwback🔳 Hired by LBJ in 2003🔳 Founded @KlutchSports in 2012🔳 Reps Bron, AD, Simmons, more🔳 Repped six players on 2020 Lakers(via @Chris_Broussard) pic.twitter.com/id11hNgors

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 18, 2020

LeBron James and the LA Lakers are now preparing for the start of the next season as they look to defend their title.