If you’re staring at your calendar trying to figure out exactly when you can stop worrying about your parlay or when you finally need to book that vacation without missing Game 7, you aren't alone. Timing the NBA schedule is a bit of an art form because "the end" is a moving target. Are we talking about the last day of the regular season? The play-in stress? Or the moment the confetti drops on a new champion?
Basically, if you want to know when does nba season end 2025, the short answer is June 22, 2025. That was the absolute limit—the date for a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
But let’s be real. Most people asking this are looking for the specific phases. The NBA doesn't just stop; it exhales in stages.
The Regular Season Finish Line
The 2024-25 regular season officially wrapped up on April 13, 2025.
On that Sunday, the league did its usual chaotic "all hands on deck" thing where every single team plays. It’s a mess of seed-hunting and tanking. Honestly, it’s one of the best days for basketball junkies because the standings usually shift three times in four hours. Once those final whistles blew, the 82-game grind was over.
For the teams that didn't make the cut, April 13 was the end of the road. For the rest? It was just the beginning of the "real" season.
Survival Mode: The 2025 Play-In Tournament
Right after the regular season ended, we hit the Play-In Tournament. This took place from April 15 to April 18, 2025.
If you're a fan of a team like the Warriors or the Heat, this window was pure anxiety. You've got the 7th through 10th seeds fighting for those final two spots in each conference. It’s high-stakes, single-elimination (mostly) basketball that bridge the gap between the regular season and the "true" playoffs.
The Long Grind: 2025 NBA Playoffs
The traditional 16-team bracket officially started on April 19, 2025.
This is where the pace slows down and the intensity spikes. You've got two months of best-of-seven series. Here is how that timeline usually shakes out:
- First Round: Started April 19.
- Conference Semifinals: Kicked off around May 5-6.
- Conference Finals: These began around May 20-21.
By the time we got through the Conference Finals, only two teams were left standing. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers eventually fought their way through a bracket that saw some serious upsets.
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The Ultimate Conclusion: The 2025 NBA Finals
The big stage. The Finals started on June 5, 2025.
When people ask when does nba season end 2025, they are usually thinking about this specific series. The NBA locks these dates in early because of the massive TV broadcast requirements with ABC.
The 2025 Finals were scheduled to run from June 5 to a potential Game 7 on June 22, 2025.
As it turned out, the world got exactly what it wanted: a seven-game thriller. The Thunder eventually took down the Pacers on that final Sunday in June. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked away with the Finals MVP, and the 2024-25 season was officially put in the history books.
Why the Dates Sometimes Shift
It's worth noting that the NBA is a bit flexible with the middle parts of the schedule. If every first-round series ends in a sweep, the league will often move up the start of the next round by a couple of days.
However, they almost never move the start of the Finals. That June 5 start date is usually a "hard" date. If the Conference Finals end early, the players just get a week of rest. It's great for their knees, but kinda boring for us fans sitting on the couch.
What Happens After the Season Ends?
Once the season ends on June 22, the "offseason" starts almost instantly. It’s a bit of a whirlwind.
- The NBA Draft: Usually happens just a few days after the Finals end (late June).
- Free Agency: The "tampering" (let's be honest) and signings start in early July.
- Summer League: Catching the rookies in Las Vegas happens in mid-July.
So, while the competitive season ends in June, the NBA news cycle is basically a 365-day beast.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're planning your year around the next cycle, keep these points in mind:
- Bookmark the Official Calendar: The NBA typically releases the following year's schedule in mid-August. If you're looking for the 2025-26 dates, that's your target.
- Watch the 2026 Dates: The 2025-26 season is already slated to end the regular season on April 12, 2026, with the Finals starting June 4, 2026.
- Check Local Listings: If you are trying to catch replays or "hardwood classics" from the 2025 finish, most are archived on NBA League Pass or through regional sports networks now that the live broadcast window has closed.
The 2025 season was a wild ride that didn't truly wrap up until that final buzzer on June 22. Whether your team won it all or you're already looking forward to the next draft, knowing the timeline helps you navigate the madness of the NBA calendar.