2022-23 NBA Season

April 15, 2023-May 29, 2023 (Playoffs)

June 1-18, 2023 (Finals)

The **2022-23 NBA Season** is the 77th season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 18, 2022, and ended on April 9, 2023. The 2023 All-Star Game was played on February 19, 2023, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City. This season is preceded by the 2021-22 NBA season and succeeded by the 2023-24 NBA season. The 2023 NBA Playoffs began on April 15, 2023, and ended on June 12th with the Denver Nuggets defeating the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.

### Retirements

* On July 21, 2022, JJ Barea announced his retirement from professional basketball. He won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and multiple gold medals with the Puerto Rican National Team.
* On August 20, 2022, Gustavo Ayon announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played three seasons in the NBA.
* On September 3, 2022, Jodie Meeks announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for seven teams in his 10-year NBA career and won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
* On September 6, 2022, Toure' Murry announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for three teams during his two-year NBA career.
* On October 26, 2022, Gal Mekel announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for two teams during his two-year NBA career.
* On November 29, 2022, Chandler Hutchison announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for three teams during his four-year NBA career.
* On December 15, 2022, Tyrell Terry announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for two teams during his two-year NBA career.
* On December 24, 2022, Jon Teske announced his retirement from professional basketball. Teske played three games for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022.
* On March 31, 2023, LaMarcus Aldridge announced his retirement from professional basketball. He played for three teams during his 16-year NBA career earning seven NBA All-Star honors and five All-NBA selections.
* On May 4, 2023, Keith Langford announced his retirement from professional basketball. Langford played two games for the San Antonio Spurs in 2007.
* On May 22, 2023, Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA. He played for six teams in 19 NBA seasons, earning 10 NBA All-Star honors, 6 All-NBA selections, Scoring Title during the 2012-13 season as well as being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

### Draft

The 2022 NBA draft took place on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Paolo Banchero was selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic.

## Regular Season

Eastern Conference

The Atlantic Division title was won by the Boston Celtics who reclaimed their title from last season.

The Central Division was won by Milwaukee Bucks who won their 4th successive division title.

The Miami Heat succeeding in retaining their Southeast Division title.

Western Conference

The Denver Nuggets won the Northwest Division taking it from the Utah Jazz.

The Sacramento Kings won the Pacific Division, taking it from the Pheonix Suns.

The Memphis Grizzlies succeeded in retaining their Southwest Division title.

### By Conference

**Notes**

* **a/e/se/w/p/sw** - Clinched respective division title
* **x** - Clinched playoff spot
* **pi** - Clinched play-in tournament spot
* **o** - Cannot qualify for playoffs.

### International Games

After three years without NBA Global Games, the NBA brought them back with two regular season matches.

 January 19 2023

## Play-In Tournament

*See also: Play-In Tournament*

After the regular season has completed, the 7-10 seeds in both conferences competed in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

### Eastern Conference

Game

* Atlanta Hawks progress as the 7th seed.
* Miami Heat progress as the 8th seed

### Western Conference

 Play-In Game 2
 8th Seed Game
Beat #10 Oklahoma City Thunder

* Los Angeles Lakers progress as the 7th seed.
* Minnesota Timberwolves progress as the 8th seed.

**Bold = Game Winner**

*Italic = Home Team*

### Eastern Conference Playoffs

 **#5 New York Knicks** defeat
 **#3 Philadelphia 76ers** defeat
 **#2 Boston Celtics** defeat #7 Atlanta
 Semi
Finals
 **#2 Boston Celtics** defeat #3 Phladelphia
 Finals
 NBA Finals
(4-1)

### Western Conference Playoffs

 **#4 Pheonix Suns** Defeated the #5
 **#6 Golden State Warriors** Defeated
 **#7 Los Angeles Lakers** Defeated the
 Semi-
Finals
 **#7 Los Angeles Lakers** Defeated the
 Finals
 NBA Finals
Miami Heat (4-1)

## Awards

From this season, the team with the best overall regular season record would receive the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named in honor of Maurice Podoloff, who served as NBA commissioner from 1946-1963. The MVP trophy was then therefore renamed in honor of Michael Jordan, a five-time MVP and often considered the best basketballer in league history. A new award, the Clutch Player of the Year was introduced to honor players who best came through in the clutch with this trophy being named after Jerry West. The Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year trophies were renamed in honor of Hakeem Olajuwon, George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain and John Havlicek respectively.

### Yearly Awards

* **All-NBA First Team**
	+ G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
	+ G Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
	+ F Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
	+ F Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
	+ C Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

* **All-NBA Second Team**
	+ G Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
	+ G Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
	+ F Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
	+ F Jimmy Buttler (Miami Heat)
	+ C Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

* **All-NBA Third Team**
	+ G Damian Lilliard (Portland Trailblazers)
	+ G De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
	+ F Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
	+ F Julius Randle(New York Knicks)
	+ C Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)

* **All-Defensive First Team**
	+ G Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
	+ G Alex Caruso (Chicago Bulls)
	+ F Jaren Jackson Jr (Memphis Grizzlies)
	+ F Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
	+ C Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)

* **All-Defensive Second Team**
	+ G Derrick White (Boston Celtics)
	+ G Dillon Brooks (Memphis Grizzlies)
	+ F O,G Anunoby (Toronto Raptors)
	+ F Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
	+ C Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)

* **All-Rookie First Team**
	+ Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
	+ Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
	+ Benedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers)
	+ Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
	+ Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)

* **All-Rookie Second Team**
	+ Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)
	+ Tari Eason (Houston Rockets)
	+ Jaden Ivey (Detroit Pistons)
	+ Jabari Smith Jr (Houston Rockets)
	+ Jeremy Sochan (San Antonio Spurs)

### Players of the Week

The following players were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week.

### Players of the Month

The following players were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month

 December
 January
(Philadelphia 76ers) (2/3)
 February
 March/April
(Philadelphia 76ers) (3/3)

### Rookies of the Month

The following players were named to Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month.

 December
 January
(Orlando Magic) (2/4)
 February
(Orlando Magic) (3/4)
 March/April
(Orlando Magic) (4/4)
(Oklahoma City Thunder) (2/2)

### Coaches of the Month

The following coaches were named the Eastern and Western conference Coaches of the Month.

(Boston Celtics)
 December
 January
(Philadelphia 76ers) (1/2)
 February
 March/April
(Philadelphia 76ers) (2/2)

## Notable Occurrences

* The NBA and NBPA announced a pension plan for former ABA players who played at least three seasons in the league
* The Board of Governors approved the permanent adoption of the NBA play-in tournament that had been in place for the last seasons.
* Following the death of 11-time champion, Bill Russell, the NBA permanently retired the number 6 across the league. This is the first time a jersey number has been retired across the league. Players who wore the number 6 before this retirement can keep their number. The NBA also honored Russell with a jersey patch. Every team wore a patch on the right sleeve of their jerseys. Every NBA court honored Russell with a clover shaped logo featuring #6 on the sideline.
* On July 9, 2022, Nikola Jokic signed a five-year, $264 million supermax extension with the Denver Nuggets, the largest in league history.
* On September 13, 2022, the NBA and WNBA suspended Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver for one year after an investigation determined he used racial slurs, sexually harassed and assaulted multiple male and female employees and engaged in demeaning behavior towards employees. On September 21, Sarver announced he was exploring selling both the Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury franchises. On December 20, 2022, Sarver received a deal made by an ownership group led by United Wholesale Mortgage's CEO Mat Ishbia and his older brother Justin Ishbia for a record-high price of $4 billion. On February 6, 2023, the Board of Governers held a vote approving the sale of the Phoenix Suns to Mat Ishbia with a 29-0 unanimous vote approving the sale with only Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers abstaining from the vote.
* 23 Canadians appeared on opening-night rosters, marking the ninth consecutive season of Canada being the second-most represented country in the NBA.
* On October 19, 2022, Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz became the first player to record a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 100% on his rookie debut.
* On October 22, 2022, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic became the first teenager to score 20 or more in his first three games. This streak ended on his 7th game, where he score 18 points on October 30, 2022.
* On October 28, 2022, DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls became the 50th player to score 20,000 points.
* On October 31, 2022, Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets passed Vince Carter for 19th place on the all-time scoring list.
* On November 4, 2022, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks became the second NBA player to score 30 or more points in the first eight games of a season, joining Wilt Chamberlain.
* On November 4, 2022, the Golden State Warriors became the first defending champion to start the season 0-6 away from home.
* Due to Election Day, the league did not schedule regular season games on November 8. Instead, every team played on November 7 with a new match starting every 15 minutes.
* On November 13, 2022, Joel Embiid became the first player in NBA history to record 50+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ blocks in a game. He scored a career high 59 points along with 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks in a 105-98 victory over the Utah Jazz.
* On December 10, 2022, former player and coach Paul Silas, the father of current Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas died at the age of 79.
* On December 27, 2022, Luka Doncic became the the first player in NBA history to a record a 60-point, 20-rebound triple double (60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists) in a 126-121 comeback overtime victory over the New York Knicks.
* On December 29, 2022, Buddy Hield scored the fastest three pointer since play-by-play was registered, by doing so in 3 seconds.
* On December 31, 2022, Luka Doncic became the first player in NBA history to record 250 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists in a five-game span.
* On January 2, 2023, Donovan Mitchell became the seventh player in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a single game. He had 71 points, 11 points and 8 rebounds in a win over the Chicago Bulls. He also became the first player in NBA history to score at least 70 points and at least 10 assists.
* On January 10, 2023, the Miami Heat went 40 for 40 from the free throw line in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder breaking the record (39 for 39) by the Utah Jazz in 1982.
* On January 13, 2023, the San Antonio Spurs set a regular season single game attendance record with 68,323 people at the Alamodome in a 114-113 loss against the Golden State Warriors.
* On January 15, 2023, Lebron James became the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points.
* On January 24, 2023, Lebron James became the first player to score 40 points against all 30 NBA teams with a 46-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers.
* On January 31. 2023, Russell Westbrook surpassed Gary Payton for number 10 on the all-time assists list.
* On January 31, 2023, Lebron James became the first player to have a triple-double in his 20th season, accumulating 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 129-123 overtime win over the New York Knicks.
* On February 7, 2023, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history in a game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder with a fadeaway jump shot over Kenrich Williams.
* On February 24, 2023, the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers competed in the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. The Kings defeated the Clippers 176-175 in a double overtime at the Crypto.com Arena.
* On February 26, 2023, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers became the eight players in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a single game, and the oldest to do so at the age of 32. He had 71 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, in a win over the Houston Rockets. He made 13 three pointers, one shy of the NBA record. He is the only player in NBA history to score at least 70 points while making at least 10 three pointers.
* On March 29, 2023, Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings passed Donovan Mitchell (187), to record the most three pointers made for a rookie in a single season in NBA history with 188. He made this feat in a winning effort, 120-80 against the Portland Trailblazers, as well as clinching their first playoff spot after 16 seasons. On April 4, 2023, the #4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft recorded his 200th three pointers, in a 121-103 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.
* For the first time since 2001, no team won 60 games in a full 82-game regular season.
* On April 7, 2023, all three Texas teams missed the playoffs in the same season for the first time ever after the Mavericks were eliminated by losing to the Chicago Bulls on April 7, 2023.
* On April 11, 2023, with the Lakers winning their play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 11, 2023, all four California teams qualified for the playoffs in the same season for the first time ever.
* For the 6th time in history, an eight-seeded team defeated a first-seeded in the first round of the playoffs when the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. The Heat also became the first play-in team to win a playoff series.
* The Los Angeles Lakers became the second play-in team and first seventh seed in the play-in tournament era to win a playoff series after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in six games.
* For the 2nd time in history, an eight-seeded team made the Conference finals, after the Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks in six games.