NBA season, the Boston Celtics are motivated to defend their title and cement their status as a league powerhouse. With a talented lineup and a strong team chemistry, they’re aiming for another championship. Meanwhile, the basketball world is vibrating with excitement as LeBron James and his son, Bronny, team together on the court for the first time.
This momentous event not only represents a new chapter in LeBron’s storied career, but it also highlights the future generation of basketball brilliance. Dive into the most recent updates, player insights, and what these events imply for the league as we prepare for an exciting season!
Washington – When the NBA’s 79th season begins on Tuesday, defending champion Boston goes for back-to-back titles, LeBron James teams up with his 20-year-old son, and familiar players make their debuts in new locales.
The Celtics will raise their record 18th championship banner when the New York Knicks visit Boston, while James and the Los Angeles Lakers will face Minnesota on opening night.
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Boston fans haven’t celebrated back-to-back NBA championships since 1968 and 1969, when the Bill Russell dynasty ended, but after breaking a 16-year title drought, star Jayson Tatum longs for similar glory.
“It was never just about just trying to win one,” Tatum recounted. “Now you have the opportunity to be in the same room as the other Celtics, great teams and players.
“Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be, what tier you’re trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?”
Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics holds the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy following the Celtics’ 106-88 victory against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman (Getty Images/AFP)
Tatum, who helped the US team win Olympic gold in Paris, believes the Celtics feel different now that they are winners.
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“It does feel different being up here as a champion and knowing what it takes, and wanting to be on the top of the mountain as many times as you can,” Tatum told ESPN.
Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead the Celtics’ seasoned lineup, which also includes standout guard Jrue Holiday and injured center Kristaps Porzingis.
“We want to win a championship every single year — that’s the goal, the standard, and the expectation,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Just because something worked once does not mean it will work again. “That is the challenge.”
NBA all-time scoring leader James, who turns 40 in December, teamed up with his eldest son Bronny in the Lakers’ pre-season loss to Phoenix, becoming the league’s first father-son pairing.
“It was cool for both of us,” LeBron James stated. “This is a moment I will never forget. It seemed like being in ‘The Matrix’ or something. “It didn’t feel real.”
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Star big man Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James propelled the Lakers to the 2023 Western Conference finals, but they were eliminated in the first round last season.
A massive off-season trade sent center Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, while forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo went to Minnesota.
New York also added Mikal Bridges, and with All-Star guard Jalen Brunson and other veterans returning, the Knicks might compete for their first NBA championship since 1973.
“We can’t only be concerned about one team. “We have to be concerned about the entire Eastern Conference,” Towns said.
“To accomplish what we want to do, and what the city is yearning for us to do, we need to be a team not just that beats Boston, but finds a way to beat every team in the East.”
Klay Thompson was transferred from Golden State to Dallas, where the four-time NBA champion will join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to form a triple-threat attack for the Mavericks, who finished second last season.
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Swingman Paul George had starred for the Los Angeles Clippers last season but was not re-signed, so the 14-year veteran inked a free agent contract to join star center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia.
“We’re very focused on April, May, and June,” 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey stated. “That doesn’t mean that the time right now isn’t very important as well, but we’re going to be very smart about how we manage him through the season.”
Milwaukee is led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, while Indiana and Cleveland are expected to compete for the top slots again.
The Atlanta Hawks have signed top NBA Draft choice Zaccharie Risacher, the second Frenchman to be selected first overall after NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama moved to San Antonio last season.
Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a young Oklahoma City lineup to the Western Conference’s top seed, and the Thunder will be tough once again, along with Denver, headed by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, and Phoenix, which features Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.