Every year, the middle of October signifies the tipoff of a new National Basketball Association (NBA) season. Excited players, both rookies and veterans, anticipate their quest for the coveted Larry O’ Brien trophy. Dozens of trades occurred in the 2025 offseason that, in turn, will cause underdog teams to rise from their previous season’s playoff positioning. Teams that triumphed in the playoffs, such as the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Knicks, aim to carry that success into the regular season. On the other end of that scale, playoff disappointments retooled to seek redemption for the new and exciting season.
“I am looking forward to seeing how well the rookies play this year because there are a lot of good ones. I like to model my game after Steph Curry (30) because I try to focus on my shooting and ball handling. My favorite team is the Cleveland Cavaliers because I like their logo and color way,” sophomore Kevin Vo said.
The reigning champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, began its title defense in the regular season, facing the Houston Rockets. Houston, the number two seed in the Western Conference last season, fell short in the year’s playoffs. The Rockets succumbed to a 4-3 series loss to the Golden State Warriors. During the offseason, the Rockets managed to acquire star forward Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. Fans, players and media all regard Durant as one of the league’s premier all-time scorers. Oklahoma City finished the regular season with a 68-14 record and won the NBA Finals. In turn, the Thunder secured the win over the Rockets in a double-overtime thriller to open the season.
In the Eastern Conference, injuries plagued the top contenders that entered last season. Star guards Damian Lillard (0), Jayson Tatum (0) and Tyrese Haliburton (0) all suffered Achilles injuries in the NBA playoffs. Their loss on the roster caused the Bucks, Celtics and Pacers to collapse and lose in their playoff series. The new Eastern Conference preseason favorite, the Cleveland Cavaliers, faced a tough opponent in the New York Knicks. The Knicks returned a roster full to the brim with talent, specifically, Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson (11) and all-star center Karl Anthony-Towns (32). The game unfolded in the iconic Madison Square Garden, packed with fans and stars alike. The Knicks secured the win for the home crowd in dominating fashion, out-rebounding the Cavaliers by 16 boards. The Knicks opened their season with an enormous win against a fellow contending team.
The historic performances already commenced on opening night, Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard V.J. Edgecombe (77) scored 34 points in his NBA debut. His teammate guard Tyrese Maxey (0) added 40 in the 76ers’ impressive win, joining eight other similar high-scoring games in the first week. The previous night, Luka Doncic (77) set an NBA record with 92 points scored over his first two games. Spurs star Victor Wembenyama (1) continued to improve in ways that only rival a basketball alien with a 40-point, 15-rebound, six-assist and three-block performance against the 2025 number-one pick Cooper Flagg. Sharp-shooter Curry spoiled Aaron Gordon’s (32) career-high 50-point night with a 42-point masterclass. Lastly, dynamic guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Anthony Edwards (5) continue their ascent with 55- and 41-point games, respectively.
“I do not believe LeBron [James] (23) is going to retire. He is not going to retire because he is still scoring and still performing at a high level. However, I’m looking forward to seeing if the Thunder can go back-to-back,” magnet sophomore Elias Garcia said.
The possible end-of-season retirements and exciting rookies loom over the 2025-26 season. James, after an illustrious career, the 21-time all-star will enter season 23 and plans to miss the first weeks of the season. Fans continue to speculate whether he will retire at the end of the season or continue for the possibility of playing with his sons next year. In contrast, the city of Dallas will put its fate in the hands of rookie Cooper Flagg (32), whose versatile game sets up a dynamic offense alongside Anthony Davis (3), Klay Thompson (31) and Kyrie Irving (11) upon return. Needless to say, the 2025-26 NBA season started with astounding entertainment and excitement.
