Best Answer: A normal NBA regular season starts in either late October or early November, and ends in early-to-mid April. Every NBA team plays 82 regular season games. (This season started on Christmas due to the 2011 NBA lockout, and is an exception to that rule. Every team will play only 66 games during the 2011-2012 NBA season.) The NBA playoffs usually start in mid-April, and conclude with the NBA Finals in early-to-mid June. A normal NFL regular season starts in either late August or early September, and ends in late December or early January.