When you were young, the end of summer used to be a somewhat depressing period where you knew that the carefree days of a summer break are over and that you will need to go to school. Now that you are older, you are looking forward to it.
Not only are the kids preoccupied with school, but the new season is starting, and now more than ever you will be able never to miss a game you want to see. With live streams, podcasts, and TV coverage, your biggest problem will be avoiding spoilers from the game you were forced to miss due to higher powers, but if you are careful, you will always be able to find a good stream to watch the full game, in HD, commentary and all. Additionally, if you are using a premium VPN such as Le VPN, you will be able to do all of this for free, and from any device, you have, including your smartphone.
Although it is a known fact that supporting the Boston Celtics shows excellent moral character, as to keep personal biases at the minimum we should focus on the technicalities. In the end, while we might have our difference in opinion, fan rivalries, and heated emotions, this game connects us all, and it would be great if everyone would be able to enjoy it.
What? NBA.
When? Live.
How? Safely, over a live stream.
Where? Anywhere!
Watching NBA for Free
Those who have traveled beyond the land of the free and the home of the brave know that most countries in the world today have better deals when it comes to cable TV than us. As we are wedged between huge corporations and Internet Service Providers that are usually our only choice in the region we live, US consumers are typically forced to buy not one but several premium TV channels as to watch all of the games they want.
A huge exception for this rule is the home team. As advertisers will want as many local people to see their commercials, they will subsidize the local broadcasters to give citywide, statewide or even regional coverage of the game for free. This is where VPN comes in. Using a Virtual Private Network, you can select a server that is local to the team and observe the game as you were there. You will be able to access the stream for free, and there will be no barriers. When you want to switch the game, you just change the server and reconnect. For instance, people who have Le VPN installed were able to watch the 2018 NBA finals for free, as there is a server located in California. All users were then considered fans of the Golden State Warriors and had free streams, followed by the 0-4 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. While maybe not the greatest supporter of the Dubs, when free even vinegar is sweet, and who doesn’t like a little L-Train.
Due to security concerns, you should always use premium VPN services to connect, not only to live stream events but to the internet in general. This has an added bonus, as professional VPN providers will also have good apps, meaning that you will be able to change the servers quickly, and with very little difference in ping and download speeds.
Why is Your NBA Live Stream Disabled?
As most people remember that they should set up the stream and find the server in the few hours before the game begins, tensions are usually running hot. Because of this, the first thing to do if you cannot connect is to calm down and resist the urge to hulk out on your own devices. Setting up everything with premium VPN takes just a few minutes, so you will have enough time to do everything you want, and make nachos.
There are three reasons why a stream could be disabled. The most common one is that the region where you are located is blocked due to licensing. For this, just try the next server. Professional providers like Le VPN have a full network of servers, so if you want to select a free VPN server have seven of those in the United States to choose from, and additionally one in Canada.
The second most common reason is that you have chosen a fake feed. Remember ‘’Raiders of the Lost Ark’’? If you have titles like ‘’100% Free NBA Watch Now’’, you are probably connecting to a live feed that really wants to install some spyware to your device. It is much safer just to use NBA TV and watch the official stream or to connect to a local TV broadcaster and watch it from there. Not only will you be much safer, but you will also probably have a much better video that is in HD or even 2K.
Finally, the third reason and the silliest is that your device doesn’t support the latest version of Adobe Flash Player, as most streams are embedded into the website using this program. This is usually the case with Apple products such as iPhones and iPads, but it can also be the case with multiple Linux devices that are just not programmed to support the plug-in. In this case, the easiest solution is to use a different machine, but if that is not possible, you may be able to copy the link of the stream and to play it with iTunes or a similar player. Thankfully, NBA TV doesn’t require flash player loading, so you will be safe if this is your preferred viewing platform.
Live Sports Streaming
Streaming television is not really a novel idea, but thanks to the advances in technology we are now able to watch high-quality streams, in real time, with no buffers, commercials, or risks. If you want to stream live sports, it is essential that you have your VPN enabled, for both legal and security reasons.
For one, accessing the internet without a VPN will leave your IP address exposed, and this can have multiple unwanted consequences, least of which being the volley of adds that will come your way from all of the corporations and retailers whose websites you access. The privacy provided by the virtual network, aided by the increased security of the servers, will make your connection secure and browsing private.
Aside from security, the fact that you can switch your position to multiple countries, which adds up to 120+ for users of Le VPN, means that you will have a much more extensive selection of sports, matches, and commentary to choose from.
Finally, this method is a lifesaver if you are a basketball lover living abroad. While many countries have a developed sports culture and follow basketball regularly, they are usually more fixated on local championships than on who will be the NBA champions. While the Euroleague has a couple of good teams, and it is by no means bad basketball, it doesn’t give the same emotional dividend as watching the Eastern and Western divisions clash as titans that they are.
Is Watching NBA TV over VPN Legal?
Most fans have a legitimate concern that watching a live feed over a VPN will in some way damage their team as they are not contributing visibly to any ticket sales or premium TV packages. Others might be concerned that using this method is not legal and that they are in some way breaking the law. Neither of these things is true.
As for your contribution to your favorite team, what you are providing to the team is a click. Anyone who has worked a day in internet marketing knows that clicks are everything and that advertisers live and die on the metrics provided by the software. By using a VPN you are becoming a local viewer, and your stream is counted as local viewership. This adds to the amount the team will get from sponsors and advertisers, benefiting the team in the end. While you probably won’t be able to purchase everything you see in the commercials depending on your exact location, trade also very globalized nowadays and you can order just about anything online.
As for the legality, the only obstacle here could be the national laws of the country you are currently residing in, as there are some regions of the planet that don’t look kindly upon you hiding your identity on the internet. The countries that have declared VPN illegal are currently Belarus, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Iraq. If you are presently station in the latter, we would primarily want to thank you for your service, but you will not be able to use a VPN legally.
There are some other countries like China and Russia where VPN is monitored by the state, but it is not outright illegal to use it, and if you are using a foreign VPN provider there is no chance for your data to be requested by the government.
International Sports Calendar
If you are truly a hardcore sports fan, you will be delighted to know that Le VPN has produced a full international sports calendar up until the end of the year. Everything from tennis to Formula 1 is on the list, making it impossible to find a day without an event worth watching.
For those of us eagerly waiting for the start of the new NBA season, the 29th of September is when it begins, and for the residents of Beantown this couldn’t be a better start, as the opening match of the season will be the Celtics going to North Carolina to meet the Hornets, with hopes to make Michael Jordan regret ever returning from baseball, even as an owner.
If for any reason the opening game doesn’t play out as we hope, there is always the Women’s World Championship in Volleyball starting the same day in Japan where we can at least partially forget anything that has happened, although I hope that this will more be the case for the residents of Charlotte.
Planning out the Dates
The last weekend of September will be tense as far as the NBA goes. After the opening day on Saturday the 29th, we have the Raptors and the Trail Blazers, fighting for the title of the King of the North. In a much hotter setting, the Spurs will host the Miami Heat that same evening, leaving just enough time in the middle for the Sunday lunch with the family. The Spurs-Heat game will be available to watch for free if you use the Texas server provided by Le VPN.
Monday is reserved for the second game between the Celtics and the Hornets, as well as Lakers welcoming the Denver Nuggets in what is expected to be a very interesting match.
While the best match on Tuesday will be the Philadelphia 76ers playing against Orlando Magic, with the former having an irritatingly good team this season, the most viewed one will probably be the Knicks-Wizards game in what is slowly progressing to be a divisional rivalry.
Only a day later, the Huston Rockets will meet with the Memphis Grizzlies in what is a very tight schedule if you are trying to follow all of the games, as the Celtics will host this year’s vice-champions at the same time.
Most of the games from the eastern division will be available for streaming from the ABC Network online, and those that will go live on NBA TV will be announced on the Association’s official Twitter account @NBA.
Watching from Different Devices
Those who follow tips about internet security know that having all of your devices secured, protected, and connected to a VPN is essential if you want to access the internet freely and browse through it safely. As good VPN providers are usually called premium, professional, or just paid VPN, this often seems like the service is really pricey, but this is not really the case. Providers like Le VPN offer protection for multiple devices for an annual fee that amounts to a week’s worth of coffee for an average person, and a day’s worth if you are a programmer.
There are four types of devices that you might use, and while they are all covered by your VPN subscription, not all of them will act the same. This division is made due to the operating system, and you will need to adjust your viewing preferences depending on what you have at hand. These platforms are Windows, MacOS (including iOS), Android, and Linux.
Something you will not hear very often, but Microsoft Windows is the best platform for live streaming NBA, as it works seamlessly with Adobe Flash Player. This will also include your Xbox where you can also use a VPN to stream videos for free. Android and Linux are highly modular and can be adapted to work perfectly, or they can lack everything. Your Smart TV will usually use Android and will have everything already installed to stream whatever you want.
Finally, if you are an Apple user, you will want to find a stream that is not embedded using Flash, as it is not supported by the platform and it probably never will be. There are roundabouts for live streams, but the best possible option is to use a different stream. As iOS is a very popular platform, most official network channels will be able to stream on them, as they are not using Adobe. This list of networks includes NBA TV.
*Don’t Use Untrusted Streams
You might be tempted to use an obscured streaming service at some point, as they are usually amongst the top searches, but you should never do this. Some of these streams might be perfectly benign, but others will be filled with spyware and adware, both of which can be a major risk for your internet security.
Why is a Premium VPN Important?
The reason why you will always want to have a premium VPN subscription when watching live streams of sports events are speed, security, and accessibility.
Security should be quite an obvious advantage, as maintaining top-tier service is quite difficult and quite costly, most free VPN services are not capable of competing. Additionally, many services that market as VPNs are actually phishing sites that will directly steal your information.
Speed is also a factor, as it is bandwidth intensive to stream HD videos, and that is impossible for subpar providers. You might be able to manage a 480p video with significant buffer, but once you factor in all the other aspects, it is far from worth it.
Finally, with high-quality VPN providers, you will have multiple servers to choose from, meaning that you will be able to watch all the content that you want. And, if for any reason a server fails, you can switch to another one in seconds, and not be left without a connection altogether.
Conclusion
End of September is drawing near, and we can expect a hell of a season. Bostonians hate comparing this team with the one from 2008 but dream about the same outcome. Cleveland wants to see the L-Train reach the final destination once again after 2016, with several attempts just shy of the mark.
Both for those in the US of A, and for fans all over the globe, little technical know-how will enable us to watch all of the games we want, and for free. If you are already a person who cares about internet security, you can use your prudence to watch some phenomenal Ball for free, and if you are a sports fan who looks forward to the 2018/2019 season, this might be a good time to kill two birds with one stone.
In any case, may the best team win.
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Written by Vuk Mujović @VukMujovic
Vuk Mujović is the founder of MacTíre Consulting, an analyst, data management expert, and a long-term writer on all things business & tech. He authored blogs, articles, and opinion pieces aimed to help both companies and individuals achieve growth without compromising their security. Vuk is a regular guest author to Le VPN Blog since January 2018, where he gives his expert opinion on the topics related to cybersecurity, privacy, online freedom, and personal data protection. He also often shares his tips and best practices in relation to internet security and digital safety of private individuals and small businesses, including some additional applications of using a VPN service.