With the 2024-25 National Basketball Association (NBA) season quickly approaching, the NBA’s 30 teams are making final preparations for what promises to be one of the most competitive seasons in history.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming season.
When does the 2024-25 NBA season start?
The new NBA season begins on Tuesday, October 22nd. The New York Knicks visit the defending champion Boston Celtics, kicking off at 23:30 GMT (6:30 p.m. local time) at the TD Garden Arena in Boston.
What is the format?
- During the regular season, 30 teams play 82 games over 7 months.
- At the end of the season, the top six teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference automatically qualify for the postseason.
- The next-best teams, ranked 7th through 10th in both conferences, will participate in a play-in tournament to secure the remaining 7th and 8th place postseason spots in each conference.
Who are the favorites to win?
- In the Eastern Conference, the NBA champion Boston Celtics are the consensus pick by bookmakers and league executives to win the conference again and are also the favorite to repeat as champions. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are considered by many basketball commentators to be the biggest threats to East Boston.
- In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the lowest odds of winning the conference. Behind them are several strong title contenders: the Denver Nuggets, last season’s NBA runner-up Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns.
What are the key dates on the 2024-25 NBA schedule?
- October 22, 2024: NBA regular season begins
- November 2, 2024: NBA Mexico City Game 2024 (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
- November 12, 2024: Emirates NBA Cup (in-season tournament) opens
- 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-In Tournament
- April 19: NBA playoffs begin
- June: NBA Finals (exact date to be determined)
Three popular stories to follow this season
#1. LeBron and Bronny James: The first father-son duo to play together on an NBA team.
The countdown is on for NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James to become the first player to share the court with his son.
LeBron’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers, will open the regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, October 22nd. Will today be the day that history is made between father and son, or will it continue into the season?
#2. MVP Competition: SGA vs Luca
Oddsmakers are predicting that 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.
Both players put up incredibly impressive numbers last season. SGA averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 75 games. Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds in 70 games.
In addition to the compelling MVP rivalry between the pair, the two superstars play in the same conference and their teams have a new rivalry after playing six games in a tight Western Conference second-round matchup that Doncic’s team won last season.
#3. NBA Team Preparing to Draft Cooper Flagg
Flagg may be the hottest small forward rookie prospect since LeBron James was drafted in 2003.
Flagg, 17, hasn’t even made it to the NBA yet and recently committed to play for American college powerhouse Duke University for the 2024-25 season.
But with the 6-foot-9-inch (206 m) player from Newport, Maine considered a consensus No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, several NBA teams are expected to be in trouble. This is a common practice that leads an already struggling team to lose. More – to increase your chances of landing a No. 1 draft pick in 2025.
With Flagg poised to be a potential franchise-saving star, the 2024-25 NBA season could be defined by a race to the bottom as well as the top.
Who were the key players who moved on from the team in the offseason?
#1. Paul George to Philadelphia 76ers
Long considered the quintessential small forward in today’s NBA, George is tall, a good shooter, and possesses strong passing and defensive skills. George signed as a free agent with the 76ers in the offseason after spending the last five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Nicknamed “PG-13,” George was selected to the NBA All-Star nine times, to the All-NBA Team six times, and to the NBA All-Defensive Team four times.
The 34-year-old’s arrival in Philadelphia completes the NBA’s deadliest “Big Three” combination for the 2024-25 season, as George joins forces with former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid and the league’s most improved player. It will be. Season, guard Tyrese Maxey.
#2. Karl-Anthony Towns transfer to New York Knicks
The 6-foot-11 (2.11 m) forward-center was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks, where he would link up with mercurial point guard Jaylen Brunson in one of the most lethal 1-2 combinations in the league.
Towns, a four-time NBA All-Star, is one of 10 players in NBA history to average at least 22 points and 10 rebounds per game during his career (minimum 500 total games).
The 28-year-old joins the storied Knicks franchise, elevating him to one of the favorites for the 2024-25 NBA title.
The Knicks hope Towns’ arrival at Madison Square Garden can give their long-suffering fans their first NBA title since 1973.
Where did the 30 teams finish last season?
NBA Standings 2023-24 (Eastern Conference) 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 Standings 2023-24 (Western Conference) 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 continues to offer out-of-market games, live access to NBA TV, and on-demand replays of all games. Check your local TV guide for cable/satellite service in your area.
On Al Jazeera’s dedicated basketball page, you’ll find all the news and features, as well as build-to-event and live text commentary for select NBA games throughout the 2024-25 season.
