Add The California Post on Google Adam Silver and Co., we tip our hat to you.
The schedule for opening night and Christmas were released Tuesday and there’s no shortage of juicy storylines to anticipate while we’re stuck in the doldrums of August.
Here are our seven takeaways from the first batch of games that have been posted.
It’s the greatest team in the league versus one of the greatest players of all-time. It’s James facing the team he would’ve joined in free agency if they hadn’t won a championship. It’s the Knicks receiving their rings in front of James, who moved across the country from his family in pursuit of his fifth title in his unprecedented 24th NBA season.
It’s the face of the league versus a guy who had to claw his way into the national consciousness in Jalen Bruson. It’s the team atop the mountain versus the team with the best chances of usurping their spot. It’s a team that oozes chemistry versus a team that’s desperate to build it.
It’s Madison Square Garden. It’s New York. It’s…why do we have to wait so long for this?
Opening night features the following slate: Celtics vs. Pistons, Knicks vs. 76ers and Thunder vs. Spurs.
The Lakers have played on opening night seven straight years before James left in free agency this summer. That speaks volumes about James’ star power. The 17-time championship Lakers are the darlings of the league, sitting in one of the biggest media markets. They have Luka Doncic, who finished fourth in MVP voting last season. But without James, none of that mattered. They didn’t secure one of the league’s most coveted windows.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs left us stunned when they eliminated the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals in a thrilling seven-game series. The Thunder were the reigning champions at the time. They had reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. No one expected the Spurs to rise that quickly.
Wembanyama has proven that the league is his for the taking. He’s only 22. He’s already smashing through glass ceilings. This will be Gilgeous-Alexander’s turn to respond.
LeBron James will play the Lakers on Christmas, the team with which he spent the longest consecutive stretch of his career in eight seasons.
James put the Lakers back on the map. He snapped a six-season playoff drought. He led them to their first championship in 10 years in 2020. He carried them to two Western Conference Finals appearances.
This will be Lakers fans’ chance to show him their appreciation.
While it’s clear they never connected with James on the same level as superstars who spent their entire careers in Los Angeles, such as Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, James made the franchise relevant again. This will be their opportunity to thank him.
The anguish was painted all over Wembanyama’s face after his Spurs were eliminated by the Knicks in the Finals. The Spurs blew too many fourth quarter leads. They made too many critical mistakes down the stretch.
One can only imagine how many times Game 4 has played through his head, you know, when the Spurs squandered a 29-point lead to fall to the Knicks, 107-106.
Wembanyama has vowed to be better. He has acknowledged he has a lot to learn. When he plays the Knicks next, watch out. It’s no secret how much he wants this. He deeply cares. He’s going to be out for a vengeance.
The Warriors aren’t playing on opening night for the second time since 2019. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time and even though he’s turning 39 next season, he’s still one of the best players in the league.
So why isn’t the league’s modern day dynasty playing on that coveted day?
It’s clear they’re not championship contenders. Now, if James had gone to the Warriors, things would’ve been very different. Curry and James would’ve been must-watch television, regardless of whether they were competing in June. They won a gold medal together at the 2024 Olympic Games, with James winning MVP of the tournament and Curry stealing the show in the final few games. If they had teamed up again, it would’ve meant an entire season of wide grins and shimmies and incredible basketball.
Sure, Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP. And Wembanyama is the future face of the league. But Anthony Edwards has something else going for him.
He’s the most charismatic guy in the NBA.
Edwards and his Timberwolves will play the Thunder on Christmas. That means we get to spend the holiday watching one of the most fun guys in the league. Edwards isn’t only a thrilling scorer, he’s a Class 1A trash talker.
Gilgeous-Alexander likes to let his game do the talking.
