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How do NBA teams travel?

How do NBA teams travel? Every NBA team plays at least 82 games during a season, a number that goes over 100 if we include the preseason games and potential playoff games. In half of these games, every team plays on the road which means that each team takes around 100 flights each season.

The schedule is created in a way that the teams play the division rivals more than the teams from the other conference mainly to reduce the flying time, but still, there is a lot of time in the air for every player.

To makes things even worse, the teams often take the flights to a road game right after they have finished a game in their city, which means that they arrive late in other cities that are often in a different time zone.

NBA teams spend more time at cruising altitude than teams in any other professional league. The jet lag from traveling to 41 road games during the regular season may be really difficult.

Why NBA teams usually have a worse record on road is not as much as because of the fans in the arena but to the traveling process. Each time during the regular season goes on a tour that lasts a week with the team traveling from town to town, which sometimes makes the players forget where they are when they wake up in the morning.

The NBA travel schedule, with travel across four time zones, is as difficult as it comes. Probably, it is the worst when teams play back-to-back road games.

NFL teams routinely travel as far, but only play once a week with only eight or nine road games within a regular season and most of their games are played on Sundays.

MLB teams play more often, actually double as much as the NBA teams but spend four to five days in each city, making for fewer miles traveled. NBA teams play , on average, slightly over three games a week over a 26-week regular season. And they go far, with most teams traveling well over 40,000 miles over the regular season.

Knowing that there are many players in the league who are there for numerous years, the number of flying hours of an NBA veteran is close to an airline employee.

Given the fact that the teams need their players in the best possible physical shape, they do all in their power to make the traveling as comfortable as possible.

The players usually skip the regular airport control and do not wait in lines to get on their plane.

In 2015, the NBA and Delta Air Lines Inc struck a deal in which 27 of the 30 NBA teams would be carried by their chartered jets specifically fitted out to host NBA players.

Delta Air Lines Inc. started using Boeing 757s under a tentative agreement for NBA charters, with almost 50 percent more cabin space than the usual planes.

The planes that NBA teams are using, usually feature 54 leather business-class seats with as much as 5 feet of pitch or the distance from a spot on one row to the same place on the next one. That’s about twice as much as the industry standard and accommodates NBA players who average 6 feet, 7 inches. The seats swivel, so players can twist to chat or play cards.

It’s also customary for sports stars to get extra attention on charters, with crews ready to provide a coach’s favorite drink or a player’s food preferences.

The A319 that Delta has been using in the pro sports team airliner segment is the smallest of the VIP airliners in the space. NBA squads usually fly with about 50 players , staff, reporters, and guests.

The Miami Heat , Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets are the only teams not covered by the agreement. The Heat and Rockets each use different charter companies while billionaire Mark Cuban’s Mavericks fly in their own 757.

Knowing how many flights the NBA teams have taken, of course, there have been some minor incidents.

In 1960, the Lakers narrowly averted being part of a major air disaster when their DC-3 charter crashed in an Iowa cornfield. Nobody on the plane was hurt. The Lakers were coming home from a game in St. Louis when about 10 minutes into the flight the generator in the team’s DC-3 charter failed, leaving the pilots without lights, heat, navigation devices, and radio power.

Unable to return back to Lambert Field in St. Louis because of the number of planes backed up over the airport, the pilots continued, hoping to navigate their way towards Minneapolis by starlight. They lost course, and soon had serious worries about fuel. Fortunately, the plane landed safely and no one was injured.

In 2017, Oklahoma City Thunder’s plane hit a bird on 30,000 feet leaving the nose of a charter plane left with a massive dent.

Last season, the Utah Jazz plane was forced for an emergency landing. Players and staff of NBA team Utah Jazz were left “shaken, but unharmed” after a bird strike forced the plane they were on to make an emergency landing.

The travel party had been heading to the team’s next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on a chartered flight but, just minutes into the journey, the decision was made to turn back for Salt Lake City Airport. The bird strike had caused a fire in at least one of the engines.

Christopher Avalos

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Layup lines: nba smartly reduces travel even more in 2022-23, share this article.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make.  Subscribe here  to get it  delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

The NBA revealed its schedule for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday, and it gave us plenty of things to talk about.

The social videos released by individual teams were great — well, some of them. Conspiracy theories about Utah’s only televised game ran amok, and basketball bettors finally had something to salivate over as the season nears.

But the funny thing to me about all of this is, unlike the NFL, every team in the NBA plays each other at least twice, every season. And there’s 82 games. Outside of maybe Opening Day and Christmas , there’s nothing particularly interesting about the schedule release. But I did find one thing to be noteworthy:

Per NBA.com’s Mark Medina , the estimated miles traveled for the upcoming season has been reduced to 41,000 miles per team, a record low in the era of 30 teams and 82 games. That marks an estimated reduction of nearly 2,000 miles per team and a total of more than 50,000 miles from last season. They also increased the instances of no travel between games by 66%.

As talks of reducing the length of the season constantly come up, I’m encouraged that the league is still finding ways to reduce travel. I personally like the 82-game schedule, so anything the NBA can do to make that marathon easier on the athletes, I’m all for. In turn, it should help keep the players fresher and make the product even better.

As schedule releases go, I’m not particularly interested. But this is good news.

The Tip-Off

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LeBron James signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Lakers on Wednesday, putting an end to questions about his immediate future as he nears the end of his career.

Nobody really expected this deal to come now, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Our guy Sykes put together seven reasons why it was the right call by the King. Here’s one:

“Don’t get it twisted — this deal doesn’t mean James is a Laker for the rest of his career. Of course, he can be. But it’s not set in stone.

James has a player option in year two of his extension. It’s essentially the same sort of 1+1 deal James signed when he played for the Cavaliers. It’s a play for leverage and puts the Lakers right back in this situation they were in this summer next year with James’ future in the balance.

The ball is still in his court. That’s got big implications for something further down this list.”

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NBA schedule: Examining trips, back-to-backs, tough stretches for all 30 teams

A look at the context of the schedule and who plays who when, and how far they travel during the season.

The NBA schedule was released Tuesday, and all the big games have been broken down and hyped. But while many experts will note everyone plays every team at least twice and it's all pretty standard, that misses a lot of context. Given travel and the difference in when games are played impacts whether the opponent is rested. With that in mind, here's a deeper look into schedule trends for all 30 teams. 

Information courtesy of the well-designed Presidual schedule analysis app .

Atlanta Hawks

Back-to-backs: 15

Travel miles: 40,292

• The Hawks start with a 4,500-mile road trip that includes going from Dallas to Charlotte to Brooklyn ... then Miami. The tank is on, my friends. 
• Their longest road trip finishes March, which is a really rough time for it, and includes a visit to Golden State. 
• They close with six of seven games vs. teams with legit playoff hopes in the East. 
• They have a fairly balanced December schedule. This matters because if they somehow come out of November with a surprising start, the may be able to boost themselves into being a playoff contender with a more balanced December schedule. Make it to Jan. 1, and confidence about staying in the race grows. 
• Burying the lede: This is all unlikely, the Hawks are almost assuredly going to be very bad. 

Boston Celtics

Back-to-backs: 14

Travel miles : 54,022

• The first month is brutal. They play Golden State, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Miami, Toronto, and Milwaukee (twice) before Nov. 17. 
• The balance comes later, as the Celtics face a lot of likely lottery teams for the final month-plus, including three of their four final games (vs. Chicago, Atlanta and Brooklyn, all at home), which could determine if they get the No. 1 seed. 
• Their longest trip is in late January, including a cross-country flight to L.A,, then a back to back vs. the Lakers and Clippers , then a jaunt to Golden State to face the champs, and then hitting Denver on the way back. 

Brooklyn Nets

Travel miles : 40,999

• Six of their first eight games are against likely lottery teams. Hey, Brooklyn's supposed to be terrible again, but they're going to have a chance to win some games early. 
• That ends abruptly, starting Nov. 7, when the Nets face 10 straight playoff-contenders, including Golden State, Cleveland, Boston and Houston. 
• They have two five-game road trips to the West that finish with an East game (Charlotte and Boston). Those final games after a long flight at the end of a long trip are brutal.

Charlotte Hornets

Travel miles : 41,196

• Charlotte has a four-games-in-six-days trip in early February that features two back-to-backs. That's a brutal stretch at a crucial time. 
• Ten of Charlotte's final 15 games are on the road.
• Charlotte has 10 of 16 games at home in December, but also face Golden State twice and Boston that month. 

Chicago Bulls

Travel miles : 41,550

• Chicago has 11 of its first 17 games on the road, including games vs. the Spurs  (twice), Thunder  (twice), Raptors  (twice), Golden State and Cleveland. Their season could effectively be over by the middle of November.
• They have a home-heavy January, with few games vs. top opponents. 
• If they somehow manage to hang in, their final three games are winnable (home vs. Brooklyn, at Brooklyn, home vs. Detroit). 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Back-to-backs: 13

Travel miles : 39,219

• From Feb. 27 on, the Cavs play only four games against three teams (Toronto, Washington, L.A. Clippers) who finished among the top four in their conference last season. 
• January, as is typical for contenders, features games vs. top teams -- including Boston, Toronto, Golden State and OKC. 
• Cleveland doesn't go West of Texas until Christmas vs. the Warriors ; their schedule is largely a cakewalk.

Dallas Mavericks

Travel miles : 47,738

• Fifteen of their first 24 games are at home, though they face nearly every strong team in that stretch: Golden State three times, San Antonio three times, OKC three times, Boston twice, and Memphis twice. 

The good news is that after March 13, the only really strong teams they face are Cleveland and Toronto. If they manage to survive their start, they could make a late push. 

Denver Nuggets

Travel miles : 44,984

• They play five of their first seven on the road, followed by a six-game homestand. 
• January is where they are going to have to make hay. They play San Antonio twice and Golden State, but most of the month is home-heavy vs. mid-tier teams. 
• Denver has a seven-game trip and a six-game trip, the latter to the East coast in late March. They are not going to have an easy time if they are on the 8th-seed bubble. 

Detroit Pistons

Travel miles : 38,525

• Aside from rough stretches in December and January, the schedule is largely balanced between stronger and weaker foes. 
• They face a six-game West-coast road trip covering nearly 5,000 miles in March, including a back-to-back. It's not ideal timing and could provide separation for their competition should Detroit falter. 
• Their February schedule is mostly weak and at home, so if they are to make a push, that may need to be the time. 

Golden State Warriors

Travel miles : 50,515

• Eleven of the Warriors' first 13 games are against squads with at least reasonable expectations of making the playoffs. 
• They have 29 of their 41 road games before the All-Star Break, which leaving only 12 after the break. But cutting the season in half (there are more games before the break than after), the allocation is pretty even: 20 road games coming by Game 41, 21 after. 
• Very little about their schedule will matter since they will absolutely roll through the league. 

Houston Rockets

Travel miles : 48,126

• Seven of the first 10 are on the road, including the opener at Golden State and the next night at Sacramento, and another back-to-back 10 days later. It's a tough open. 
• Houston has 10 of its final 16 at home, but two back-to-backs in the final 11 days. They play only a handful of playoff-caliber teams in the final month, but two are vs. the Spurs, who figure to be pursuing their typical rest plan. 
• Much of their travel in late December through January is over long distance, some 14,000 miles in a month and a half. 

Indiana Pacers

Travel miles : 37,624 (league low)

• Indiana is on the road for six of its final eight, including two vs. the Warriors, because apparently after trading Paul George the league basically left them for dead. 
• Outside of that late-season trip, there's only one other prolonged West team trip in January. 
• Eleven of their first 18 are on the road, including games vs. Thunder, Spurs, Cavs and Rockets. A difficult finish and a rough start doesn't breed confidence for exceeding low expectations. 

Los Angeles Clippers

Travel miles : 50,410

• They open with a pretty soft 7 of 9 at home. Then, they play 8 of 9 on the road, including games at San Antonio, OKC and Cleveland. 
• And in a reversal of that, the Clippers are on the road for 9 of an 11-game stretch in March, but then finish with 5 of 6 at home. 
• They have four four-game-plus trips. 

Los Angeles Lakers

Back-to-backs: 13 (tied for league low)

Travel miles : 53,104

• They have two East trips between Nov. 8 and Dec. 14, with the additional road games sprinkled in. That's going to be a long month. 
• Also, to end that second road trip, they face Cleveland before hosting the Warriors on Dec. 18. Then they visit the Rockets two nights later before flying to Golden State for a game two nights after that. Fun times. 
• They close vs. five potential playoff teams, but some could be resting and all are in L.A. (One is "at" the Clippers.)

Memphis Grizzlies

Back-to-backs: 16 (tied for league high)

Travel miles : 44,070

• In December, the Grizzlies go to Phoenix and visit the Lakers the next night (Dec. 26-27), then travel to the Bay to take on Golden State before visiting the Kings  the next night (Dec. 30-31) ... then go back to L.A. to face the Clippers on Jan. 2. In most cases, games at the Lakers and Clippers on the same trip come in consecutive games. It's an outlier to go up and down the coast like that.
• In the event they are scrapping for a playoff spot, they figure to control much of their own destiny over the final 10 games (vs. LAL, at MIN, vs. POR, at UTAH, at POR, at NO, vs. SAC, vs. DET, at MIN, at OKC). And there's a good chance the Thunder are resting players in No. 82. 

Travel miles : 48,472

• After their first game (at Orlando, a short trip), they have six home games, three against likely lottery squads and one back to back. 
• Of course, then they go on a six-game West road trip featuring back-to-back games at the Clippers and Golden State (Nov. 5-6). Finishing a back at Golden State is not bad, since it's a likely loss. 
• They have only five games West of the Mississippi after Jan. 22.

Milwaukee Bucks

Travel miles : 43,041

• Boston, Cleveland twice, and OKC -- all before Nov. 10. They have a tough opening schedule. 
• Their closing schedule is Brooklyn, at New York, Orlando and Philadelphia. However, that comes after a West-powerhouse-heavy end to March. 
• Nine of their 15 January games are at home, with six against potential East playoff teams. That's an important month. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

Travel miles : 55,139

• Four of their first six are against the Spurs, OKC twice, and the Jazz .
• They have two five-game home-stands -- in November and January. 
• Of their final 16 games, 11 are against teams expected to be in playoff contention. 

New Orleans Pelicans

Travel miles : 50,223

• Starting Feb. 2, they play 10 of 15 games on the road. Some of that is because of Mardi Gras, but it's still a lot of road games. 
• They have one of the toughest closing stretches ... if no one is resting. They're at Golden State, at the Clippers, then home for the Spurs. 
• Their longest homestand is four games; they have three four-game road trips. 

New York Knicks

Travel miles : 44,446

• The schedule is crazy un-balanced. For starters, they have three five-game homestands when many teams have none. 
• But that's balanced by a stretch between Dec. 25 and Feb. 3 when they play an insane 16 of 20 games on the road, including a seven-game trip. 
• They face Cleveland in consecutive games to end the season, so essentially if they're in range, LeBron James ' resting habits will determine if they make the playoffs. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

Travel miles : 44,887

• Four of their final seven are on the road, all vs. teams with playoff hopes -- including San Antonio, Golden State and Houston. 
• The Thunder have no road trips of more than three games. 
• A December stretch sees them travel to Brooklyn, come home for a game, then go for a three-game East coast road trip. 

Orlando Magic

Travel miles : 47,630

• Their schedule is balanced, with two four-game West trips -- one in November, one in March. 
• Orlando ends March with a seven-game homestand vs. mostly mid-tier East teams. 
• They close vs. Toronto, Milwaukee, and Washington, so if they're (somehow) on the bubble that could hurt. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Travel miles : 47,839

• The Sixers have four trips of four or more games. 
• Their April schedule is favorable. It's almost entirely teams that should be resting and lottery squads. If they manage to get within range, that could help get them into the playoffs if they beat teams they should (a weird thing to say after so many years of tanking).  

Phoenix Suns

Travel miles : 49,855

• Among their final eight are games vs the Warriors twice, the Clippers, Rockets and Celtics.
• They have four road trips of four games or more, including a six-game stretch in December.
• They fly from Portland to Brooklyn, play back to back at the Nets and Washington (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) as part of a five-game trip. Bad teams typically get crushed by early schedules. 

Portland Trail Blazers

Travel miles : 55,298 (league high)

• Between Nov. 17 and Dec. 18, they play 11 of 16 on the road. 
• During that stretch, they have two separate East trips, and on the latter, go from Golden State to Miami for games on Dec. 11 and 13. 
• And seven of their final 10 are also on the road, with nine vs. potential playoff teams. 

Sacramento Kings

Travel miles : 49,211

• In January, they play 9 of 11 on the road, though most are vs. West teams. 
• The good news is that between February and March, they play 19 of 27 games at home. 
• That's comforting, because they open with 20 of 33 on the road. The hole should be dug pretty deep by the time they get to that homestand. That's half their road games before Dec. 26. 

San Antonio Spurs

Travel miles : 45,489

• Ten of their final 15 are at home. 
• They face Golden State, Minnesota, Boston, Toronto, and OKC by Nov. 17.
• They have 9 of 12 in February on the road for the rodeo road trip, including two at Golden State. 

Toronto Raptors

Travel miles : 37,818

• After two relative gimmes to start -- vs. Chicago and the Sixers (though they always lose to the Bulls and the Sixers should be better), the Raptors go on a six-game trip which includes the Spurs, Warriors and Portland-Denver on a back-to-back. 
• They roll through half their road games before 2018 starts. 
• Their final four, Indiana, Orlando, Detroit and Miami are very winnable. 

Travel miles : 48,051

• From Dec. 9 through mid-January, they play 12 of 16 on the road, including two East trips. 
• In their final 10 games, they face Golden State twice, along with San Antonio, the Clippers ... and the Blazers in their finale. They're going to have to earn a playoff spot. 

Washington Wizards

Travel miles : 41,319

• Their long trips are almost all East games, which should make it easier, though they do go from L.A. to Brooklyn for some reason. 
• From Jan. 17 through Feb. 23, they're home for only three games. 
• They face Boston on April 10, which could be a very interesting game for seeding purposes. 

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NBA estimates 40,000 more travel miles in a top 16 playoffs

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NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA estimates an increase of 40,000 miles of travel in the postseason if it scrapped its current conference format and took the top 16 teams.

Calls to change the system were renewed this week when LeBron James left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers, which could create another strong Western Conference team, where both Houston and Golden State finished above .700. The only team in the Eastern Conference with a similar record was Toronto. Houston and Golden State met in a thrilling West final before the Warriors swept the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Commissioner Adam Silver has said ideally there would be a format allowing the two best teams to meet for the title, but he has repeatedly expressed concern about the additional travel that would be created if teams were seeded 1 to 16 in the postseason, instead of the current format in which it’s the top eight teams in each conference.

“I think, as I’ve said in the past, the obstacle is travel, and it’s not tradition in my mind, at least,” Silver said at the All-Star break. “It’s that as we’ve added an extra week to the regular season, as we’ve tried to reduce the number of back-to-backs, that we are concerned about teams crisscrossing the country in the first round, for example. We are just concerned about the overall travel that we would have in the top 16 teams.”

The league says it averages about 90,000 miles of total travel in the postseason and estimates that would increase to 130,000. It estimates, based on historical data, an average of 2½ series per year matching teams separated by three time zones before the NBA Finals, with about a 90 percent chance of at least one per season.

The WNBA switched its playoff format to the top eight teams instead of by conference in 2016.

A 1-to-16 format would likely mean the league would have to balance the schedule so teams played the same amount of games in the regular season against East and West teams, instead of playing more against the teams on its side.

That would create about 150,000 additional miles of travel in the regular season, the league estimates, from the 1.4 million miles of total travel in 2017-18.

“It’s still my hope that we’re going to figure out ways,” Silver said. “Maybe ultimately you have to add even more days to the season to spread it out a little bit more to deal with the travel. Maybe air travel will get better. All things we’ll keep looking at.”

This story has been corrected to show that Houston and Golden State had the top two records in the Western Conference, not the entire league.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

What's behind the NBA's new focus on traveling, and how players and teams are adjusting

NEW YORK -- Before the New York Knicks hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday afternoon, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about the NBA's emphasis on enforcing traveling this season.

"I'm all for it," Thibodeau said.

Over the ensuing 36 hours, the Knicks were hit with six violations in a blowout loss to the Mavericks before committing another eight -- the most called on any team in a single game since 2010, according to Elias Sports Bureau research -- during Sunday's 91-82 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers .

But it was a traveling call Thibodeau believed wasn't called on Cavs guard Darius Garland that landed the coach a technical foul late in the fourth quarter.

"Obviously there's an emphasis on it by the league," Thibodeau said postgame. "I think [the enforcement] is good, for the most part. But I think you have to be consistent in the way in which you call it.

"If it's tight for one team, it's got to be tight for the other team."

Neither side was happy with the way Sunday's game was called. Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff echoed his New York counterpart after the Cavs were called for five travels.

"To be honest with you, every game could be called like this," Bickerstaff said after holding back a smile. "But it's not. So when it is, it makes it difficult to figure out what exactly we're doing and how we're going to do it."

Knicks forward Julius Randle , meanwhile, said he had never experienced such a game throughout his nine-year NBA career.

"I'm not saying they're wrong," Randle said. "I'm not saying they're the wrong calls. It's just, I've never seen it."

While Sunday's game might have been an extreme example -- New York and Cleveland's 13 combined travels is the most for an NBA game this season and the most since March 2007, according to ESPN Stats & Information research -- the league has seen a dramatic increase in both traveling and carrying violations in recent weeks.

October saw 1.7 travels called per game, according to analysis by ESPN's Kevin Pelton. That number doubled in November. (During the 2021-22 season, there were 1.26 travels called per game, the lowest frequency dating back to 1996-97, the first year that play-by-play data is available).

What has been even more dramatic is the increase in carrying and palming calls. In October, not a single carry was called. In November, there were 44 -- 43 were called across the entire 2021-22 season. Six palming violations in October were followed by 57 being called in November -- 67 such calls were made across all of last season.

The violations have played a part in the leaguewide offensive rating going from 112 points per 100 possessions in October to 111.3 in November, as opposed to offense typically increasing over the course of the season.

And calls have been immune to situation, score and stardom. Shortly after Thibodeau received the technical Sunday, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was called for a travel a few feet away from the Knicks bench. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was called for a travel on a potential winning 3-point attempt in the final seconds against Dallas on Tuesday.

"If we're going to call that now," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after that 116-113 loss to the Mavericks, "we've got to call that all the time."

Despite frustrations aired across the league, the NBA is trying to do exactly that.

Each preseason, the league releases points of emphasis -- made available not only to the referees, but to the teams and media -- outlining a new focus in rules enforcement. In recent years, the target has been opening up the game to be played in a more free-flowing fashion. First was an emphasis on freedom of movement, cutting down on defenders clutching and grabbing on the perimeter. Then came eliminating "non-basketball moves" that players such as Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden had honed into a science to draw fouls.

For Monty McCutchen, the NBA's senior vice president of referee development and training, tackling traveling is the next step in an ongoing quest to change how NBA basketball is officiated.

"We take direction from our stakeholders," McCutchen says. "I think that [offensive players'] footwork had gotten to where the stakeholders had realized ... when you have a game that's played in space with highly skilled people and then you turn around on top of that and give them the advantage of extra footwork, it's virtually impossible to guard people."

McCutchen says the free-flowing nature and spacing of the modern NBA has provided an opportunity for referees to focus on players shifting their pivot foot when attacking defenses, adding that the league has studied data that shows missing such calls leads to additional defensive fouls because it creates an advantage for offensive players to exploit.

"Our concentration was on defensive players because that's where most of the problems came from. We had to grow and evolve with the game," McCutchen says.

"We've been harping on it and harping on it [with our referees]: You must then find the legal pivot foot and then you must either see a legal step back or a legal dribble before transitioning your focus to defensive players.

"We're doing a much better job of this and, thus, you're seeing an increase in violations."

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Curry, for his part, echoed Thibodeau and Bickerstaff: As long as the game is being officiated consistently, everyone will adjust from there.

"All the ones they did call were clear travels. Not much to argue about," Curry said after the Warriors' win over the Rockets on Saturday. "Make the adjustments based on how the game is called, and we are talented enough to do that.

"Again, it's just making sure it's consistent on both sides, game after game."

While the emphasis on traveling hasn't come as a shock, both the number of carrying and palming violations -- neither of which were specifically spelled out as points of emphasis heading into the season -- have soared.

What has led to the sudden increase? McCutchen says the answer is simple: After watching the opening weeks of the season and studying how officials were reacting to the point of emphasis on traveling, not enough attention was paid to both carrying and palming the ball -- acts he says are part of the same sequence of events stressed to referees in the preseason.

"My job as the head coach -- for lack of a better description -- of our team, is to make sure that the rule book is being enforced," McCutchen says. "And when we emphasize traveling and sequencing and it picks up another part of footwork, then it needs to be adjudicated properly."

When asked if he expected there to be a decrease in calls as the season went along, McCutchen says there could be a natural decrease as players adjust. We have seen that in the past. Per Pelton's analysis, travels per game have declined after the first 20 team games in 24 of the past 26 seasons, including a dramatic drop in 2019-20 when traveling was last a point of emphasis.

Still, McCutchen says that despite some of the high-profile nature of recent calls, he's happy with the progress the league has made while acknowledging the referees' task of keeping up with a league constantly evolving around them.

"We're always going to be just a little behind. The key is to shorten that distance as much as possible through good training," McCutchen says of NBA referees.

"You've heard me say it a thousand times: A referee's role is to serve the game, and when we're told where we need to get better at serving the game, then it's my job to deliver on that."

And, after the Knicks had one of their best defensive performances of the season Sunday, Randle had one idea for how they could build on that success.

"Hopefully," Randle said with a smile, "we can force them into more travels."

ESPN's Kendra Andrews contributed to this story.

How much do NBA players fly?

By: Author Louis

Posted on Published: January 6, 2023  - Last updated: January 20, 2024

As much as the NBA is about basketball, it’s arguably even more focused on providing entertainment for its fans. Therefore, NBA teams are situated across the United States (and a team in Canada) in order to appease fans in many major markets in the country. What that results in is a tightly-run schedule behind the scenes that requires extensive travel for players and team staff.

How much do NBA players fly? For the 2022/23 NBA season, the average distance teams will travel for NBA games is 41,000 miles; the average distance for the 2021/22 NBA season was 43,000 miles. The past two seasons are the lowest average distances since the league expanded to 30 teams. The regular season is made up of 41 away games for each team, which require travel to and from the opponent’s venue. The average round trip distance traveled for an away game was calculated as 1,000 miles in the 2021/22 NBA Season.

How does the NBA manage the travel for teams?

The league is made up of 30 teams all over the United States , with one team, the Toronto Raptors, located in Canada. In a 82-game regular season, every team has to play each other at least twice, one of these games being at the opponent’s arena , which could very easily be across the country. To put it succinctly, there’s a lot of travel involved in a regular season. Too much travel means that players don’t get enough rest, which may result in fatigue and in turn affect performances negatively or even lead to injuries. On the other hand, the NBA’s fans are spread across the country (and across the world, although not quite feasible) and in order to please the fans, teams have to travel to all arenas for games. In the mix, the goal of the NBA is to provide an entertaining product that fans appreciate, meaning that the revenue is maximized.

Therefore, the NBA tries to appease the demands of each involved party. Firstly, the league is structured into conferences and divisions based on geographic location of the teams. The Conferences are split into Eastern Conference and Western Conference; within each conference there are 3 divisions, with 5 teams in each division (15 teams per conference). The divisions are grouped by teams who are in the closest proximity to each other: for example, the Pacific Division includes the Sacramento Kings, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Phoenix Suns. All 5 of these teams are located on the West Coast along the Pacific Ocean (except the Phoenix Suns, although they are relatively close). 

The league’s divisional structure comes into play when they create regular season schedules. As a rule, a team plays 16 games against division teams (8 home, 8 away), 36 games against non-division conference teams (18 home, 18 away), and 30 games against non-conference teams (15 home, 15 away). Therefore, of total 41 away games that require travel, 8 games require little travel, 18 games require some level of travel but not significant, and only 15 games require significant travel.

The NBA further reduces travel by scheduling back-to-back games and “series” games. A back-to-back game means that a team plays 2 games in 2 nights. Therefore, the team can play 2 games in one trip instead of going back home and then returning for the next away game (home -> away city A -> away city B -> home). What the NBA often does is that if a team has to play 2 away games consecutively, they arrange it against a team that is nearby so that travel isn’t too significant. For example, in January 2023, the traveling Milwaukee Bucks will play the Atlanta Hawks and then the Miami Heat the next night; both the Hawks and the Heat are in the same division and are relatively close.

“Series” games mean that teams play back-to-back games against the same team in the same arena (only possible in division or conference play). For example, the Portland Trailblazers played on November 5th and 6th against the Phoenix Suns in Phoenix. Once again, this doesn’t require a team to complete another trip. The NBA has increasingly used this tactic, also known as no-travel games; the 2022/23 season will have 55 such instances. Another nifty tactic is to keep teams in the same city to play against two teams; this is applicable to Los Angeles (the Lakers and the Clippers) and New York (the Knicks and the Nets). So, a team will play the Lakers and then the Clippers back-to-back for example; this tactic will occur 33 times in the 2022/23 NBA season.

The reason that the NBA has been working hard to reduce travel is to keep players from travel-related fatigue and keep costs down. However, there are concerns that having an increased number of back-to-back games will be detrimental to players. With the use of load management (resting players who are otherwise healthy) soaring across the league, it reflects negatively on the league; for examples, fans pay for tickets to watch stars play but find out they are resting because coaches fear that all the back-to-backs and travel will result in an injury to their best players. This is something that the NBA is trying to eliminate, but the nature of the league and the regular season may make it nearly impossible, no matter how much travel is managed.

The next time you watch the NBA, take a moment to appreciate the hard work that players put in to make sure that you are entertained. Not only do these players have tough training and diet regimens, they also go through a grueling travel schedule, which makes just showing up an incredible feat in and of itself. The fact that players can even put up the type of performances they do on a nightly basis after flying potentially hundreds of miles a few hours earlier is a tribute to the elite level of the NBA players and staff.

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How Do NBA Teams Travel and Who Pays for Hotel Rooms?

The NBA of the 21st-century offers fans a more candid look at the players and the product than nearly any other era of the game. Fans can see what a player does before the game, during the game, and after the game thanks to social media and expanded television coverage. One aspect of the NBA that might remain a mystery to fans, however, is how NBA teams travel to every game.

NBA players travel across the country, but those who are not in the know may not know what this entails as they do so. 

Home games allow the players to get to where they need to be on their own. Players might arrive in fancy cars or beat-up old ones, depending on is driving. In bigger markets, a player might take more extreme measures to get to the game. Kobe Bryant reportedly took a helicopter to some games to avoid the traffic down below. When you make eight-figures a year, the options are endless. 

Home games supply the players with a proper routine that allows them to get to every game at the same time and do everything they need in the comfort of home. Because of this, the home-court advantage doesn’t just apply to crowd noise and location. The entire lead-up to the game is different than a road trip.

How do NBA teams travel to away games?

The NBA may be full of high-flyers, but this doesn’t mean they can take off in Sacramento and land in New York. In prior eras, players had to wait in airports and fly commercially unless their owners had another way to do so.

Now, chartering private jets to get from point A to point B is the norm, and the jets come decked out in luxury that is made for these larger-than-life people aboard. 

The Sacramento Kings, for example, recently rented a private jet that is owned by rap superstar Drake as they traveled overseas to India . The plane, called “Air Drake,” is filled with custom features that reportedly cost the rapper $185M.

It is a Boeing 767, but a look inside shows that this is no passenger liner. The plane is filled with lounge seats and tables where the players could stretch their legs and relax instead of a squeeze behind seats that people two-feet-smaller than them struggle to fit in. 

While other planes may not be quite as fancy, the planes that the players are taking to games are nicer than a commercial flight, and owners are expected to get them to every game in style. 

Food and comfort

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While the owners are the ones who are supposed to get players around the country, their responsibility does not end there. Players need to eat, and while they all can afford to eat on the road, the team is the one who supplies the funds for meals.

Certainly, if a player wanted to live the high-life and eat at a fine-dining establishment they could go out of pocket, but stingier players can stretch their $133 per diem to not only help feed them but get some pocket money, as well. 

Owners also provide the lodging for the players, and this means putting them in four and five-star hotels. With one of the greatest unions in the world behind them, players have ensured that even when they are on the road in a grueling schedule, they are afforded every luxury within reason.

Not only do their hotels meet this, but players who need to get to the game are also afforded luxury buses or other vehicles to help get them there in style. 

Life on the road for an NBA player can be tough, but with chartered flights, nice hotels, and even a little bit of lunch money to hold them over, the road life in the NBA has some perks. And in the end, all of the expenses fall in the lap of the owners , not that most of them have any trouble paying.

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Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show , among other programs.

As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early ’90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA.

When he’s not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.

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Nba estimates 40,000 more travel miles in a top-16 playoffs.

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CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 20: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers hoists the trophy as he gets off the plane as the team returns to Cleveland after wining the NBA Championships on June 20, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

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NEW YORK (AP) -- The NBA estimates an increase of 40,000 miles of travel in the postseason if it scrapped its current conference format and took the top 16 teams.

Calls to change the system were renewed this week when LeBron James left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers, which could create another strong Western Conference team, where both Houston and Golden State finished above .700. The only team in the Eastern Conference with a similar record was Toronto. Houston and Golden State met in a thrilling West final before the Warriors swept the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Commissioner Adam Silver has said ideally there would be a format allowing the two best teams to meet for the title, but he has repeatedly expressed concern about the additional travel that would be created if teams were seeded 1 to 16 in the postseason, instead of the current format in which it’s the top eight teams in each conference.

“I think, as I’ve said in the past, the obstacle is travel, and it’s not tradition in my mind, at least,” Silver said at the All-Star break. “It’s that as we’ve added an extra week to the regular season, as we’ve tried to reduce the number of back-to-backs, that we are concerned about teams crisscrossing the country in the first round, for example. We are just concerned about the overall travel that we would have in the top 16 teams.”

The league says it averages about 90,000 miles of total travel in the postseason and estimates that would increase to 130,000. It estimates, based on historical data, an average of 2+ series per year matching teams separated by three time zones before the NBA Finals, with about a 90 percent chance of at least one per season.

The WNBA switched its playoff format to the top eight teams instead of by conference in 2016.

A 1-to-16 format would likely mean the league would have to balance the schedule so teams played the same amount of games in the regular season against East and West teams, instead of playing more against the teams on its side.

That would create about 150,000 additional miles of travel in the regular season, the league estimates, from the 1.4 million miles of total travel in 2017-18.

“It’s still my hope that we’re going to figure out ways,” Silver said. “Maybe ultimately you have to add even more days to the season to spread it out a little bit more to deal with the travel. Maybe air travel will get better. All things we’ll keep looking at.”

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Exploring How Do NBA Teams Travel: Air, Private Jet & Bus

By Happy Sharer

Overview of Air Travel for NBA Teams

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world. With teams located across the United States and Canada, NBA teams must rely on air travel to get to their away games. This article will explore how NBA teams travel and look at the advantages and disadvantages of air travel for NBA teams.

Types of Air Travel Used by NBA Teams

NBA teams typically use one of three types of air travel: commercial airlines, private jets, and charter buses. Commercial airlines are the most common type of air travel used by NBA teams. These flights are usually booked through a travel agency and offer the most economical option for getting to away games. However, commercial flights can be unreliable due to delays or cancellations.

Private jets are becoming increasingly popular with NBA teams as they offer more flexibility and reliability than commercial flights. Private jets allow teams to fly directly to their destination without having to worry about connecting flights or long layovers. Additionally, private jets provide teams with more privacy and comfort than commercial airlines.

Charter buses are also used by some NBA teams for shorter trips. Charter buses provide teams with an economical way to travel to nearby away games. They also allow teams to avoid the hassle of flying and give them more time to rest and prepare for the game.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Air Travel for NBA Teams

Air travel provides NBA teams with several advantages. First, it allows teams to quickly and safely travel to away games. Second, it gives teams more time to rest and prepare for the game. Third, it allows teams to avoid the tedious process of driving to their destination. Finally, air travel can be more economical than other forms of transportation.

However, there are also some disadvantages to air travel for NBA teams. Delays and cancellations can cause teams to miss their flights and arrive late to their destination. Additionally, air travel can be expensive and can put a strain on the team’s budget. Finally, air travel can be uncomfortable and stressful for players, especially on long flights.

Examining the Different Modes of Transportation Used by NBA Teams

Commercial airlines.

Commercial airlines are the most common form of air travel used by NBA teams. Most teams book their flights through a travel agency that specializes in arranging flights for professional sports teams. The travel agency will help the team find the most economical flights and make sure that all of the necessary arrangements are made.

Commercial airlines offer teams several advantages. First, they are usually the most economical option for getting to away games. Second, they provide teams with a reliable and safe way to travel. Finally, commercial flights offer teams more flexibility than other forms of air travel.

Private Jets

Private jets are becoming increasingly popular with NBA teams. Private jets offer teams more flexibility and reliability than commercial airlines. For example, teams can fly directly to their destination without having to worry about connecting flights or long layovers. Additionally, private jets provide teams with more privacy and comfort than commercial airlines.

The downside of using private jets is that they can be very expensive. The cost of a private jet can easily exceed the cost of commercial flights. Additionally, private jets require teams to plan ahead and book the flight in advance, which can limit their flexibility.

Charter Buses

Charter buses are often used by NBA teams for shorter trips. Charter buses are a good option for teams that are traveling to nearby away games. The buses provide teams with an economical way to travel and give them more time to rest and prepare for the game.

The downside of using charter buses is that they can be unreliable. Weather and traffic delays can cause teams to arrive late to their destination, which can disrupt their schedule. Additionally, charter buses are not as comfortable or luxurious as private jets or commercial airlines.

Exploring the Benefits of Using Private Jets for NBA Teams

Private jets have become increasingly popular with NBA teams due to their many benefits. Here are some of the advantages of using private jets for NBA teams.

Cost Savings

Using private jets can save NBA teams money in the long run. While the upfront cost of a private jet may be more expensive than a commercial flight, teams can save money on additional costs such as baggage fees and food. Additionally, private jets offer teams more flexibility, which can help reduce the cost of last-minute flights.

Flexibility

Private jets offer NBA teams more flexibility than other forms of air travel. Teams can fly directly to their destination without having to worry about connecting flights or long layovers. Additionally, private jets allow teams to adjust their schedules if needed without incurring extra costs.

Private jets provide NBA teams with a safe and secure way to travel. Private jets are generally well-maintained and inspected regularly, which helps ensure that the aircraft is safe and reliable. Additionally, private jets offer teams more privacy and security than commercial airlines.

Logistical Challenges Faced by NBA Teams When Traveling

Traveling can be a logistical challenge for NBA teams. Here are some of the issues teams face when traveling.

Scheduling Issues

Scheduling flights can be a challenge for NBA teams. Teams must consider factors such as game times, practice times, and media obligations when booking flights. Additionally, teams must factor in potential delays or cancellations when scheduling flights.

Weather Delays

Weather delays can cause teams to miss their flights and arrive late to their destination. This can disrupt the team’s schedule and throw off their preparations for the game. To minimize the risk of weather delays, teams should keep an eye on the forecast and plan accordingly.

Security Concerns

Security is always a concern when traveling. NBA teams must take steps to ensure the safety of their players and staff while on the road. This includes making sure that everyone has the proper identification and paperwork, as well as ensuring that any luggage or equipment is properly secured.

Analyzing the Cost of Travel for NBA Teams

Travel costs can be a major expense for NBA teams. Here are some of the factors that affect the cost of travel for NBA teams.

Fixed Costs

Fixed costs refer to the costs associated with booking flights, renting cars, and booking hotels. These costs are typically fixed and do not change from trip to trip. Teams must factor in these costs when planning their budget for the season.

Variable Costs

Variable costs refer to the costs associated with meals, entertainment, and souvenirs. These costs can vary depending on the length of the trip and the number of people traveling. Teams must factor in these costs when planning their budget for the season.

Impact on Overall Team Budget

Travel costs can have a significant impact on a team’s overall budget. Teams must carefully manage their travel expenses to ensure they stay within their budget. Teams should also look for ways to reduce travel costs, such as booking flights early or taking advantage of discounts.

Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on NBA Team Travel

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way NBA teams travel. Teams have had to implement new protocols and guidelines to ensure the safety of their players and staff.

Changes in Travel Policies

The NBA has implemented a number of changes to its travel policies in response to the pandemic. Teams must now follow strict guidelines when traveling, including wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings. Additionally, teams must adhere to local health and safety regulations while on the road.

New Protocols & Guidelines

The NBA has established new protocols and guidelines for teams traveling during the pandemic. Teams must now complete daily health screenings, wear masks, and practice social distancing while traveling. Additionally, teams must adhere to local health and safety regulations while on the road.

Potential Long-Term Effects

It is unclear what the long-term effects of the pandemic will be on NBA team travel. It is likely that teams will continue to follow strict protocols and guidelines for the foreseeable future. Additionally, teams may need to adjust their budgets to account for the increased costs associated with travel during the pandemic.

NBA teams rely on air travel to get to their away games. Teams typically use one of three types of air travel: commercial airlines, private jets, and charter buses. Each type of air travel has its own advantages and disadvantages. Private jets offer teams the most flexibility and safety, but they can be expensive. Teams must also consider the logistical challenges of traveling and the cost of travel when planning their trips. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way NBA teams travel, and teams must now follow strict protocols and guidelines to ensure the safety of their players and staff.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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• Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers won't love crazy travel schedule for 2023-24 NBA season

After the NBA schedule release, we now know the Clippers will travel more miles than any other team in the 2023-24 NBA season.

It is NBA schedule release day , and we now know when and where teams will be playing during the 2023-24 NBA season. We also now know that the Los Angeles Clippers ' travel schedule means Kawhi Leonard, Paul George , Russell Westbrook, and company will be racking up more frequent flyer miles next season than any other NBA franchise.

One of the quirks of the NBA schedule release day is seeing which team will travel the most miles during a season, which is exactly what the Sports analytics and strategy company Positive Residual did.

The Clippers have the worst travel schedule in the league during the 2023-24 NBA season, and it’s not that close. LA will travel 50,670 miles next season, which is 3,604 more miles than the second-most traveled team, the Brooklyn Nets.

That one-step gap is the same difference that exists between the Nets and the 10thplace team on the list, the Golden State Warriors. And to make matters worse for Clippers fans, their LA neighbors, the Lakers, only have the ninth-most miles next season with 43,545

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The Portland Trail Blazers traveled the most miles last season and finished with a 33-49 record, third-worst in the Western Conference. The Blazers will travel the sixth-most this coming season.

NBA travel is a big deal. Even flying on plush chartered jets these days, crisscrossing the country takes a lot out of NBA athletes looking to perform at their highest level. Having to travel such a significant number of miles more than the rest of the league could put the Clippers at a serious disadvantage next season, especially with an older, oft-injured team like LA.

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Around the world in 20 days: Messi could travel the globe for Inter Miami preseason

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s worldwide preseason tour will likely leave the sport’s best player and his teammates jet-lagged before the 2024 Major League Soccer season. 

Inter Miami began its preseason with a Thursday flight for a match Friday night in El Salvador, beginning an eight-leg, six-city trip in North America and Asia that will span three weeks .

Inter Miami will fly round trip to El Salvador, round trip to Dallas, then to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Tokyo before returning home to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

In all, Inter Miami will travel 25,165.54 miles during their preseason quest, the club shared with USA TODAY Sports. That's enough distance to circle the planet once.

Schedule Where will Lionel Messi play in 2024?

“We’re proud to embark on this journey that no other team in league history has experienced, and look forward to captivating our worldwide fan base with our 2024 preseason tour,” Inter Miami chief business officer Xavier Asensi said in a statement after the preseason tour was finalized.

“We’re thrilled to continue putting ourselves in positions to make history.”

Why is Inter Miami’s preseason tour so important?

As Inter Miami capitalizes on Messi’s presence to reach a global audience, MLS is also depending on the world’s best soccer player and his club to promote the league domestically and abroad.

Messi has captivated a worldwide audience throughout his career, including his crowning achievement, leading Argentina in the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

And his decision to join Inter Miami has created “an avalanche” of exposure for MLS and streaming partner Apple, MLS executive vice president of media Seth Bacon told USA TODAY Sports. 

Apple TV will broadcast five of the seven Inter Miami preseason games this season and regular season games will broadcast again on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.

“Messi joined and it just exploded. So, the tailwind that we have right now, and the growth trajectory of this league is unlike anything in sports right now, anywhere in the world,” Bacon said. “And we are super bullish on the growth possibility and the growth potential that we have as a league to grow our fan base and reach new fans.” 

The best way for Messi and Inter Miami to deliver is on the pitch, where they will be considered favorites to win in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup and MLS cup this year.

And a worldwide tour is sure to bring attention to Inter Miami for the upcoming MLS season.

“The best word that we players have to keep in mind is to dream,” Suarez said. “In this case, dreaming is wanting to win, and why not dream of winning all four titles?”

How many miles will Inter Miami travel during the preseason?

The Earth’s circumference, measured either along the equator or the poles, comes in just shy of 25,000 miles, according to NASA . And Inter Miami will travel slightly more than that mark.

∎ Inter Miami will travel to San Salvador, El Salvador for Friday’s match against the El Salvador national team: 1,001.81 miles each way, or 2,003.62 miles round trip.

∎ Inter Miami will travel to face FC Dallas on Jan. 22 at Cotton Bowl Stadium: 1,110.32 miles each way, or 2,220.64 miles round trip (4,224.26 total).

Two matches in one week are a piece of cake compared to Inter Miami’s tour in Asia.

∎ Inter Miami will travel to Saudi Arabia – 7,369.17 miles (11,593.43 total) – for two matches in the Riyadh Season Cup. The first is on Jan. 29, and the second is a match between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on Feb. 1.

∎ Inter Miami will depart Saudi Arabia for a friendly in Hong Kong on Feb. 4: 4,326.94 miles (15,920.37 total).

∎ Inter Miami will fly from Hong Kong to Tokyo for a Feb. 7 match: 1,789.22 miles (17,709.59 total).

∎ Inter Miami will fly home from Tokyo: 7,455.95 miles, in all logging 25,165.64 total miles.

“The games in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan were planned from the end of last season, and we will be ready for those,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said. “The question is how we manage the first two games against El Salvador and Dallas because those are so soon. We will have to made decisions about how many minutes certain players can play in those games.”

It will all be a balancing act for Inter Miami , which has a 16-day stretch to recuperate after their preseason tour before their next road trip.

But they will be back in action on Feb. 15, hosting Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys – the hometown team of both Messi and Martino – to end the preseason.

Inter Miami has two games in the opening week of the MLS season, beginning Feb. 21 at home against Real Salt Lake and on the road against the LA Galaxy on Feb. 25.

“It’s looking at the balance of the sporting side and the growth of this club and the revenues that benefit the business side,” said Sergio Busquets, one of four former FC Barcelona members with Messi, Suarez and Jordi Alba, forming Inter Miami’s super team.

“We will also compete against great teams that will prepare us to be at a high level. When it comes to time changes and long trips, we have to be prepared and physically fit, and that will help us during the season.”

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UConn Men's Basketball Faces Travel Issues En Route to Final Four in Phoenix

• Author: Tom Dierberger

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The UConn men's basketball team punched its ticket to the Final Four without much trouble, handily defeating Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State and Illinois to win the East Region.

Actually traveling to the Final Four in Phoenix, however, posed a challenge for coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies.

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported Wednesday the Huskies' original flight to Phoenix was scheduled to leave Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, but their plane arriving from Kansas City had logistical and mechanical issues that forced a delay.

Per Norlander, the crew flying the plane from Kansas City would be over their FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) hours and can't fly the team to Arizona. UConn would have to wait until 10 a.m. ET on Thursday to fly on that plane.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported later Wednesday that the Huskies found a solution—a flight expected to leave the East Coast around 11:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. UConn will arrive in Phoenix around 2 a.m. ET Thursday.

Was told that UConn’s men’s team appears to have a solution to its travel woes getting to Arizona. A flight is expected to leave around 11:30 tonight. They’ll get in around 2 a.m. As @MattNorlander noted, there’s been mechanical/crew issues for the Huskies. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 4, 2024

While the Huskies waited in limbo for an available flight, the other three Final Four teams—Alabama, Purdue and NC State—already arrived in Phoenix.

UConn, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, is set to face No. 4 seed Alabama in the national semifinals on Saturday at State Farm Stadium.

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NASA Picks 3 Companies to Help Astronauts Drive Around the Moon

The agency’s future moon buggies will reach speeds of 9.3 miles per hour and will be capable of self-driving.

By Kenneth Chang

NASA will be renting some cool wheels to drive around the moon.

Space agency officials announced on Wednesday that they have hired three companies to come up with preliminary designs for vehicles to take NASA astronauts around the lunar south polar region in the coming years. After the astronauts return to Earth, these vehicles would be able to self-drive around as robotic explorers, similar to NASA’s rovers on Mars.

The self-driving capability would also allow the vehicle to meet the next astronaut mission at a different location.

“Where it will go, there are no roads,” Jacob Bleacher, the chief exploration scientist at NASA, said at a news conference on Wednesday. “Its mobility will fundamentally change our view of the moon.”

The companies are Intuitive Machines of Houston, which in February successfully landed a robotic spacecraft on the moon ; Lunar Outpost of Golden, Colo.; and Venturi Astrolab of Hawthorne, Calif. Only one of the three will actually build a vehicle for NASA and send it to the moon.

NASA had asked for proposals of what it called the lunar terrain vehicle, or L.T.V., that could drive at speeds up to 9.3 miles per hour, travel a dozen miles on a single charge and allow astronauts to drive around for eight hours.

The agency will work with the three companies for a year to further develop their designs. Then NASA will choose one of them for the demonstration phase.

The L.T.V. will not be ready in time for the astronauts of Artemis III, the first landing in NASA’s return-to-the-moon program , which is currently scheduled for 2026 .

The plan is for the L.T.V. to be on the lunar surface ahead of Artemis V, the third astronaut landing that is expected in 2030, said Lara Kearney, manager of the extravehicular activity and human surface mobility program at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

“If they can get there earlier, we’ll take it earlier,” Ms. Kearney said.

The L.T.V. contract will be worth up to $4.6 billion over the next 15 years — five years of development and then a decade of operations on the moon, most of it going to the winner of this competition. But Ms. Kearney said the contracts allow NASA to later finance the development of additional rovers, or allow other companies to compete in the future.

The contract follows NASA’s recent strategy of purchasing services rather than hardware.

In the past, NASA paid aerospace companies to build vehicles that it then owned and operated. That included the Saturn V rocket, the space shuttles and the lunar roving vehicles — popularly known as moon buggies — that astronauts drove on the moon during the last three Apollo missions in 1971 and 1972.

The new approach has proved successful and less expensive for the transportation of cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. NASA now pays companies, notably Elon Musk’s SpaceX, fixed fees for those services, more akin to plane tickets or FedEx shipments.

For the company chosen to build the L.T.V., the vehicle will remain its property, and that company will be able to rent it to other customers when it is not needed by NASA.

“It’s commercially available for us as a commercial business to sell capacity on that rover,” said Steve Altemus, the chief executive of Intuitive Machines, “and do that for international partners and for other commercial companies and space agencies around the world.”

The competition created alliances between small startups and larger, more established aerospace companies, as well as car companies. The Intuitive Machines team includes Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Michelin, the tire maker. Lunar Outpost added to its team Lockheed Martin, Goodyear and General Motors, which had helped design the Apollo moon buggies.

Astrolab is working with Axiom Space of Houston, which has sent private astronauts to the space station and is building a commercial module to the International Space Station. Astrolab announced last year that it had signed an agreement to send one of its rovers to the moon on a SpaceX Starship rocket as early as 2026. That mission is independent of whether it is selected by NASA, a company spokesman said.

While Lunar Outpost is competing with Intuitive Machines on this contract, it plans to work with the company separately, sending smaller robotic rovers to the moon on the company’s lunar landers.

Kenneth Chang , a science reporter at The Times, covers NASA and the solar system, and research closer to Earth. More about Kenneth Chang

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