As the 2024-25 National Basketball League (NBA) season approaches, the NBA’s 30 teams are making final preparations for what will be one of the most competitive seasons ever.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming season:
When does the 2024-25 NBA season start?
The new NBA season will kick off on Tuesday, October 22, with the New York Knicks visiting the defending champion Boston Celtics at 23:30 GMT (6:30 pm local time) in Boston. starts at TD Garden.
What is the competition format?
- During the regular season, 30 teams play 82 games over seven months.
- At the end of the season, the top six teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences will automatically qualify for the playoffs.
- The second-place teams – No. 7-10 in both conferences – will participate in the playoffs to secure the remaining seventh and eighth playoff spots in each conference.
Who is most likely to win?
- In the Eastern Conference, the NBA champion Boston Celtics are the team bookmakers and league executives agree will win the conference title again, and are the team most likely to defend the title. Many basketball commentators consider the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers to be the biggest threats to Boston in the East.
- In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the least chance of winning the title, followed by several strong title contenders: the Denver Nuggets, last season’s NBA runner-up Dallas Mavericks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns .
What are the key dates for the 2024-25 NBA schedule?
- October 22, 2024:NBA regular season begins
- November 2, 2024:NBA Mexico City 2024 (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
- November 12, 2024:Emirates NBA Cup (in-season tournament) begins
- December 17, 2024:Emirates NBA Cup Championship
- January 23 and 25, 2025:NBA Paris Game (San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers)
- February 6, 2025:NBA trade deadline
- February 14-16, 2025:NBA All-Star Game (held in San Francisco, California)
- April 13, 2025:NBA regular season ends
- April 15-18:NBA Play-offs
- April 19th:NBA playoffs begin
- June:NBA Finals (exact date to be determined)
Three hot storylines this season
#1. LeBron and Bronny James: The first father-son duo to play together on an NBA team
The countdown has begun as NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James becomes the first player to compete on the court with his son.
LeBron’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers, will open their regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, October 22. Will this be a day for father and son to make history, or will it last until the end of the season?
#2. MVP Battle: SGA vs Luca
Bookmakers predict Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be the two main contenders for the NBA regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) award who.
Last season, both players achieved amazing results: SGA averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 75 games; Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists in 70 games. and 9.2 rebounds.
In addition to the tantalizing MVP competition between the duo, the two superstars play in the same league, and their teams played six games in a tight second-round Western Conference matchup last season, with Doncic After the team won, a new rivalry emerged between their teams.
#3. NBA teams fight for Cooper Flagg draft
Flagg may be the most coveted small forward prospect since LeBron James was drafted in 2003.
The 17-year-old Flagg, who hasn’t even entered the NBA yet, recently committed to play for American college powerhouse Duke in the 2024-25 season.
But with the 6-foot-9 Newport, Maine, native considered the unanimous No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, several NBA teams are expected to take a pass — a common practice. That is, incentivizing an already struggling team to lose more games — to increase their odds of landing the No. 1 pick in 2025.
With Flagg emerging as the team’s potential savior, the 2024-25 NBA season could be as much about fighting for the bottom spot in the standings as it is about the top spot.
Which key players moved this offseason?
#1. Paul George joins Philadelphia 76ers
Long considered the quintessential small forward in today’s NBA — tall, a good shooter, a capable passer and defender — George was signed as a free agent this offseason after five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Sixers signed.
Nicknamed “PG-13,” George was selected to the NBA All-Star nine times, to the NBA All-NBA Team six times, and to the NBA All-Defensive Team four times.
The 34-year-old arrives in Philadelphia as the end of perhaps the NBA’s most lethal “Big Three” tandem heading into the 2024-25 season, with George teaming up with former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid Joining forces with Tyrese Maxey, last season’s most improved defender.
#2. Karl-Anthony Towns joins New York Knicks
The 6-foot-11 forward center was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks, where he will team up with mercurial point guard Jalen Brunson to become the league’s most lethal force. One of the 1-2 combinations.
Towns is a four-time NBA All-Star and one of 10 players in NBA history to average at least 22 points and 10 rebounds per game in his career (at least 500 games).
The 28-year-old joins the famous Knicks, making them one of the favorites for the NBA championship in the 2024-25 season.
The Knicks hope Towns’ arrival at Madison Square Garden will bring their long-suffering fans their first NBA championship since 1973.
How did the 30 teams rank last season?
NBA 2023-24 season (Eastern Conference) rankings and win-loss record:
Boston Celtics 64-18
New York Knicks 50-32
Milwaukee Bucks 49-33
Cleveland Cavaliers 48-34
Orlando Magic 47-35
Indiana Pacers 47-35
Philadelphia 76ers 47-35
Miami Heat 46-36
Chicago Bulls 39-43
Atlanta Hawks 36-46
Brooklyn Nets 32-50
Toronto Raptors 25-57
Charlotte Hornets 21-61
Washington Wizards 15-67
Detroit Pistons 14-68
NBA 2023-24 season (Western Conference) rankings and win-loss record:
Oklahoma City Thunder 57-25
Denver Nuggets 57-25
Minnesota Timberwolves 56-26
Los Angeles Clippers 51-31
Dallas Mavericks 50-32
Phoenix Suns 49-33
New Orleans Pelicans 49-33
Los Angeles Lakers 47-35
Sacramento Kings 46-36
Golden State Warriors 46-36
Houston Rockets 41-41
Utah Jazz 31-51
Memphis Grizzlies 27-55
San Antonio Spurs 22-60
Portland Trail Blazers 21-61
How to watch the 2024-25 NBA season?
NBA League Pass will continue to offer non-local games, NBA TV live broadcasts and on-demand replays of every game. Check your local TV guide for cable/satellite service in your area.
You can watch it on Al JazeeraBasketball pageFollow the Game on , which includes all news and features, plus game previews and live text commentary for select NBA games during the 2024-25 season.
