2011–12 NBA season
| 2011–12 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | December 25, 2011 – April 26, 2012 April 28 – June 9, 2012 (Playoffs) June 12 – 21, 2012 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 66 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, TNT, ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Kyrie Irving |
| Picked by | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Chicago Bulls |
| Season MVP | LeBron James (Miami) |
| Top scorer | Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Miami Heat |
| Eastern runners-up | Boston Celtics |
| Western champions | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Western runners-up | San Antonio Spurs |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Miami Heat |
| Runners-up | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Finals MVP | LeBron James (Miami Heat) |
The 2011–12 NBA season, the 66th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), began with the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the owners of the 30 NBA teams and the NBA's players. The previous CBA, which was ratified in 2005, expired at 12:01 AM EDT on July 1, 2011, resulting in a lockout. With the new deal in place, the regular season was shortened from the normal 82 games per team to 66, because of nearly two months of inactivity. The season began on December 25, 2011, and ended on April 26, 2012. The playoffs started on April 28 and ended on June 21 when the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of their series, 121–106, winning the Finals, 4–1 and to capture the franchise's second NBA title. LeBron James was named both the Regular Season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP.
Free agency started on December 9, 2011.
The lockout was the fourth work stoppage in the history of the NBA. It began at 4:01 UTC (12:01 am EDT) on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players were revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap. During the lockout, teams could not trade, sign or contact players and players couldn't access NBA team facilities, trainers, or staff members. All preseason games (scheduled to begin October 9) and the first six weeks of the regular season (scheduled to begin November 1, through December 15) were canceled. Some players signed contracts to play in other countries, and most had the option to return to the NBA as soon as the lockout ended. On November 26, 2011, after 15 hours of talks, a tentative deal was reached; once officially ratified, the NBA started a revised 2011–12 season. Owners allowed players to have voluntary workouts at team sites starting December 1. On December 8, 2011, the lockout ended when the owners and players ratified a new CBA agreement.
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