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Malik Monk states Russell Westbrook one of ‘best teammates' he's had in career originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A reunion we didn’t know we needed is set to take place in Sacramento.

Former MVP Russell Westbrook has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, the team announced Thursday. Malik Monk touched on what to expect from his former teammate.

“I was with him with the Lakers… probably one of the best teammates I had,” Monk told reporters after practice Thursday. “It’s always good to have him around.”

The 36-year-old added value to a talented Denver Nuggets roster last season. Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. Monk also provided insight on how the veteran point guard will fit in Sacramento.

“I feel like Russ has been playing an undersized four,” Monk said Thursday. “He can guard a four. I think that’ll give us a little more versatility on the offensive and defensive end.”

Dennis Schröder signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Kings back in July. Westbrook adds to the Kings’ guard depth, which clearly was a focus this offseason.

“I feel like he’s more outgoing than Dennis,” Monk continued. “Expresses himself way more than Dennis does, I feel like. “Just because he’s been around, and that’s Russ, that’s just how he gets going. He’s been in the league how long? He knows how to play the game, knows how to win. And he’s a competitor, so he’s gonna help us.”

Monk’s high praise for Westbrook demonstrates the impact he has both on and off the court. The pair were only teammates for two seasons, but that didn’t stop Monk from pushing for Westbrook to sign with the Kings.

“I wouldn’t say I was pushing it to the front office, Monk explained. “Me and Deebo were talkin about it, me and Zach were talkin about it, so maybe they heard.”

Westbrook’s resume already has him heading to the Hall of Fame, but his impact goes beyond the stat sheet.

“Another dog,” Monk stated about Westbrook. “Like me, super energetic. I feel like that’ll pick us up too, another one of me out there, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Westbrook and Monk were teammates for only one season in LA, but the bond they formed during that time undoubtedly will enhance the chemistry in Sacramento.

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Mazzulla shares (mostly) encouraging update on Jaylen's hamstring injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics fans held their collective breath Wednesday night when Jaylen Brown hobbled off the TD Garden floor grabbing his left hamstring.

But it appears Brown avoided serious injury.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters Friday that Brown is considered “day-to-day” with his left hamstring injury, adding that All-Star wing was able to participate in everything but the live portion of Friday’s practice.

“I expect him to be at his best every single day, and then we’ll take it from there,” Mazzulla said of Brown. “But just one day at a time.”

Whether Brown will suit up for Boston’s regular-season opener next Wednesday remains to be seen — Mazzulla said they haven’t discussed his availability for that game yet — but it’s a good sign that Brown at least was on the court Friday going through basketball activities.

Brown, who underwent minor knee surgery in June to address his partially torn meniscus, enjoyed a strong preseason, racking up 21 points in 20 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies and stuffing the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the first quarter of Wednesday’s preseason finale vs. the Toronto Raptors, however, Brown was seen clutching his left hamstring as he ran up the court and exited the game shortly after.

Brown is expected to shoulder the Celtics’ scoring load this season in the absence of Jayson Tatum, who had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles in May. And while Brown is fully embracing that opportunity, the Celtics likely will be cautious with their All-Star wing to ensure he doesn’t re-aggravate this injury.

Even if the C’s take a conservative approach, however, Mazzulla’s update Friday suggests this hopefully won’t be a long-term issue for Brown going forward.

The Celtics’ opening night clash with the Philadelphia 76ers is set for Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

A peek in Sixers locker room shows Brotherly Love is back after dismal season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

To point out the obvious, the Sixers clearly have work to do after going 24-58 in one of the most painful, dreadful seasons ever. But things are looking up.

Smiles and laughs are back behind the scenes as Sixers’ Andre Drummond posted a chaotic and entertaining TikTok Thursday about some friendly team banter.

Drummond decided to document one final round of rookie hazing as the 2025-26 season nears. The target was center Adem Bona, who filled in for Joel Embiid and Drummond in last year’s injury-riddled season. He was a highlight in the paint with his statement dunks and extensive blocks.

Drummond made sure to note in his caption that Bona is still considered a rookie until his sophomore season begins on October 22. Therefore, it was time to fill his SUV entirely with popcorn and remove a wheel from the car to leave at his locker.

Now, you’re probably thinking exactly what some of the comments are saying.

“Spend less time joking around and more time in practice.”

“This is why we only had 24 wins.”

And you know what? Fair.

But camaraderie is more important than ever amidst adversity. And last year just didn’t feel like there was any of it after a certain point. When’s the last time you saw Joel Embiid belly laugh? Just take a step back. Aren’t fun and games exactly what you need sometimes?

With all the negativity surrounding a disappointing season, there comes a point where you have to turn the page. Drummond shouldn’t be ashamed or hesitant to post fun moments like these. Especially not at the risk of getting resentful comments echoing the failures of seasons past.

With Embiid and George out with knee injuries most of last season, Tyrese Maxey was sprung into a leadership role (perhaps a little earlier in his career than expected). He mentioned on Sixers Media Day in September why bonding is so important to him and what he’s done this offseason to bring the squad together.

“Just building the camaraderie and the brotherhood off the court, I think that’s one of the biggest things that I’ve tried to do this summer,” he said. “Justin [Edwards] was in Dallas a little bit, came to my house. VJ [Edgecombe], a couple guys would come to my house out here too. That’s the kind of thing I’m trying to build. If you have that friendship and relationship off the court … I think that’s gonna help us a lot.”

No one is saying we should forget about last year. But if there’s a chance — a minuscule chance — that they learned from the things they could control, shouldn’t we humor them?

We’ll have our first taste of it tonight during the Sixers’ preseason finale when Joel Embiid takes the court for the first time in 237 days.

Joel Embiid set to return for Sixers' final preseason game  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid’s preseason ramp-up has him good to go for the Sixers’ exhibition finale. 

Embiid is available for the team’s preseason matchup Friday night vs. the Timberwolves, a team official said. Chris Haynes first reported the news.

The last time Embiid played was on Feb. 22 in the Sixers’ loss to the Nets. His last preseason game came on Oct. 20, 2023. 

Since media day, Embiid and the Sixers had avoided any exact public timelines for his return from arthroscopic left knee surgery last year. Embiid only played in 19 games during the Sixers’ catastrophic 2024-25 season.

“I feel pretty good,” he said on Sept. 26. “I think we made a lot of progress over the last couple of months. We’ve got a plan in place. Try to check off all the boxes, so just taking it day by day. … It’s more about making sure everything is right and doing everything right, and then going from there.”

Embiid has been a regular practice participant and drawn unanimously strong reviews for his work there.

“He’s been looking great. … He’s in tremendous shape with his body,” Quentin Grimes said Tuesday. “With some of the live stuff that he does, he looks like he’s pretty much getting back to his old self.”

The Sixers’ seven-time All-Star center took part in the team’s Blue-White scrimmage Sunday. He looked sharp and smooth.

Rookie VJ Edgecombe is also set to play Friday after missing the Sixers’ preseason defeat to the Magic with left hip soreness. Grimes is slated for his first action of the preseason.

Paul George (left knee), Jared McCain (right thumb) and Trendon Watford (right hamstring) will remain out. George has made significant rehab progress recently, practicing Thursday and participating in 5-on-5 scrimmaging. 

“You still see this incredible shotmaker and I think he was moving very well,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of George on Wednesday. “He didn’t seem tentative to me.” 

Steph Curry addresses potential of playing for coach other than Steve Kerr originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With Warriors coach Steve Kerr entering the final year of his contract with Golden State, some have speculated that the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season could be his final tour with the organization.

Not if Stephen Curry has anything to say about it.

In an interview with ESPN’s Anthony Slater published Friday, the Warriors star guard expressed a desire to remain with Kerr through the end of his playing career, hoping to extend a partnership that has produced four NBA championships and countless unforgettable moments along the way.

“I don’t want to,” Curry told Slater when asked if he would play for a coach other than Kerr. “We deserve that, I feel. Things change in this league. We can only control so much. But I think we’re in a very unique situation that we deserve the opportunity [to ride it out].”

Kerr and Curry, of course, have proven themselves to be an outrageously successful leadership duo over the last 11 seasons. It’s a relationship that Kerr likens to other dynastic coach-player pairings in its fostering of success at the highest level.

“There’s a reason [Tom] Brady and [Bill] Belichick worked,” Kerr told Slater. “There’s a reason Phil [Jackson] and Michael [Jordan] worked. It has to click. There has to be a mutual respect and there has to be a fierce, competitive desire. Passion for the job. Passion for winning. When all is said and done, it might be the most proud thing that exists. The most proud dynamic of my career will be a collaboration with Steph.”

The strength of that collaboration is apparent to everyone in the Warriors’ world, especially ownership. As Curry tells it, management has never approached him about a potential coaching change.

“I would just assume there’s an understanding,” Curry told Slater.

Fellow Warriors mainstay Draymond Green held a similar read of the situation.

“Steve is Steph’s guy,” Green told Slater. “So even if there was ever a thought [to let Kerr go], it don’t work. You speak to the Tim [Duncan] and [Gregg Popovich] thing. That’s his guy. You see MJ, like, ‘If Phil ain’t here, I ain’t here.’ It’s along those same lines. There’s no Steph without Steve.”

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Why Draymond Green won't troll ex-Celtic Al Horford for Dubs' 2022 Finals win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is excited to play with former rival Al Horford on the Warriors during the 2025-26 NBA season.

Which is why the four-time champion won’t be bringing up Golden State’s 2022 NBA Finals victory over Horford’s former Boston Celtics any time soon.

Green hilariously explained his reasoning for not pushing Horford’s buttons in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke.

“Absolutely not,” Green told Burke. “No chance. Not necessary. Al’s a champion. It’s unfortunate for him, you know, [that] he had to play the Dubs. But there won’t be no reminders from me. 

“I am excited to learn from him, excited to have him as a teammate — lucky to have him as a teammate. I’ve lost some championships, too, so I wouldn’t want someone coming in reminding me of my losses. I won’t be the one to remind him of his.”

What a gesture.

Golden State outlasted the Celtics in six games en route to hoisting the franchise’s fourth Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in eight seasons. The Warriors even closed the series out on Horford’s old TD Garden hardwood.

In that series, Green averaged 6.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Horford, who officially signed with Golden State on Oct.1, averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

And his new teammate, Warriors superstar Steph Curry, was the 2022 Finals MVP after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Green truly is making a team-first decision by not trolling Horford about the past. It truly is admirable when considering his genuine love for trash talk.

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Three bold-ish predictions for Warriors heading into 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Clearly, the softest word in sports media’s love for bold predictions is “bold.”

Bold prediction: Gui Santos scores 48 points on Christmas!

Bold prediction: Trayce Jackson-Davis makes seven 3-pointers in a game!

Bold prediction: The Warriors go on a 17-game win streak!

Now we’re talking. Every one of those predictions falls into the category of absurd, but hey, they sure are bold. Venturing off into that kind of crazy is a walk too far on the wild side, so we’re cranking it down a notch. 

Instead, here are three bold-ish predictions for the Warriors ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

Steph’s New Career High In … 

*Drum roll, please* 

*Keep drumming* 

*Keep drumming* 

Free throws. Well, free throw attempts per game. That’s how important the new high-five rule can be for Curry.

He led the NBA in 3-point attempts per game and made threes per game for the second straight year last season. Curry, for the fifth time in his career, also was the league leader in free-throw percentage at 93.3 percent. But Curry shot his fewest number of free throws per game (4.3) in six years when he took 4.2 per game in 2019-20.

How different would those stats look if opponents didn’t paint a target on Curry’s arms and swiping across his hands on his follow-through? Defenders can no longer do so in an attempt by the league to better protect shooters. 

“To me, it was kind of overdue,” Curry said of the new rule. “It was a conversation of, ‘When you’re shooting, how you protect the shooter.’ For me, I flail a little because I don’t want to roll my ankle. It’s kind of like a natural instinct. 

“But when it became something where guys were attacking hands, doing not like a closeout but a second motion, going at arms and hands and stuff like that, that’s not basketball. It has nothing to do with affecting a shot. It’s more just putting people in danger, that type of thing. 

“It’s avoidable. You can still play great defense and avoid doing that.”

As the NBA’s still most feared shooter, defenders will go to all lengths to slow down Curry. Doing so is hard enough, and it just became harder. Curry already had a four-point play in the Warriors’ second preseason game because of the new rule, and opened their fourth preseason game getting fouled on a 3-point attempt too. He ended the latter with 13 free throws, making 12, after reaching that number of attempts once all last season. 

Pre-Jimmy Butler Curry averaged 3.4 free throws per game last season. Post-Jimmy Butler Curry averaged 5.2, and he’s at 5.7 in three preseason games going into the finale while playing just 19 minutes a night. His career high is 6.3 in 2020-21 when Curry won his second scoring title, and he’s about to leap that number. 

How Buddy Beats Steph

If the thinking is the new rule is going to be a big benefit to Curry’s free-throw totals, it should also be a boost to his 3-point percentage. The thinking is fair, because it will. Curry was under 40 percent from three in a full season for only the second time ever, just missing the mark at 39.7 percent.

He’ll be back over 40 percent this season. But like last season, when Quinten Post technically edged him out, Curry won’t be the Warriors’ most accurate 3-point shooter. Buddy Hield will, leading them in 3-point percentage. 

This should lean on the bolder side of the scale. Hield’s 3-point percentage dropped for the second straight season. He fell to 37.0 percent, which was lower than Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, plus the six games De’Anthony Melton played. So why believe Hield will see such an uptick? 

Consistency over his career, what he just did in the playoffs and how Hield feels after one season of loving life as a Warrior.

“I’m saying this humbly, but this is probably the best summer I probably shot like, working out,” Hield said at Warriors Media Day.

These were Hield’s 3-point shooting percentages by month last season: 50, 41.4, 30.5, 31.5, 37.7, 37.9 and 35.8

These are Hield’s 3-point percentages by month for his career: 40.1, 37.9, 40.2, 40.8, 38.8, 40, 40.6 and 40.2

December and January were historically bad shooting months for Hield last season. He can be streaky, sure. After being an afterthought in the playoffs the year before with the Philadelphia 76ers, Hield shot 42.9 percent from three for the Warriors in them. That’s much closer to where he’ll be in his second season with Golden State.

Top-Four Seed

The boldest of the three? Perhaps. Not for me to judge. 

Since the Warriors won their most recent title in 2022, they have been the No. 6 seed, No. 10 seed and No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. Yet they’ve increased their wins every season, going from 44 to 46 and then 48 last season. The trend will continue again, meaning the Warriors will win at least 50 games. 

Which wasn’t enough to promise a top-four seed in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers all won exactly 50 games, making them the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 seeds in the West. Let’s be bold and predict a three-way tie isn’t going to happen again. Either way, it really won’t matter for the Warriors. 

Golden State was on a 61-win pace after trading for Butler. Projecting such a number is too bold for this keyboard, but the balance of these Warriors has them most suited for the regular season and the playoffs since the 2022 championship team. 

The Warriors have made the NBA Finals all six seasons they’ve won 50 or more games under Steve Kerr, and to put a cap on being bold, we’re at least predicting they’ll have between 50 wins and the 53 from that last title team, giving the seasoned group home cooking to start the playoffs.

“Like I say, you always have a chance when Steph is on your team,” Butler said at media day. “So to be able to be running alongside him, Draymond, and the crew that we have, I think we’re going to be in really, really, really good shape.”

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Warriors star Draymond Green details why he gets along so well with Jimmy Butler originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When Draymond Green talks about his bond with Jimmy Butler, it’s not just about basketball — it’s about trust, care and a shared sense of purpose.

“We have a lot of mutual interests. We’re a lot alike,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke. “We are both the caregivers of people. And I think when you meet someone that’s trying to give you the care that you give others, it just hits home.”

Since Butler arrived in San Francisco, the two have built an easy chemistry — one that extends well beyond the locker room.

Off the floor, they’ve discovered just how much they have in common.

“We’re both great at dominoes, so that helps,” Green joked. “We both love wine. We both love to travel. We share a lot of mutual interests.”

Burke pointed out their shared competitive fire — but for Green, what really matters is the personal connection.

“The personal stuff is so much more important than the competitive,” Green explained. “It’s way easier to adjust to someone on the basketball court than it is to get along with a person.”

Green emphasized how that sense of understanding naturally carries into how he and Butler play together. The trust built off the court makes everything on it feel more instinctive.

“On the basketball court, he’s smart as hell, and I like to think I know a few things,” Green added. “We both make it easy to play with each other. It’s easy to understand each other — like we speak each other’s language.”

For Green, it’s simple — when the foundation is built on respect, the basketball takes care of itself.

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Former NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook has signed with the Sacramento Kings, as he enters his 18th season.

The 36-year-old played the 2024-25 season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games.

The nine-time All-Star signed for the Kings after becoming a free agent in June, once the Nuggets were eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Westbrook holds the NBA record for most triple-doubles with 203 and led the NBA in scoring in 2015 and 2017. He joins his seventh team since being drafted in 2008 by the Seattle Supersonics.

He has also played for the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Russell embodies the identity we're striving for in Sacramento," said Kings general manager Scott Perry.

"His resume speaks for itself and I'm excited to work with someone so accomplished, who is fully committed to competing and winning. We expect him to strengthen our point guard position and provide leadership both on and off the court."

Egor Demin, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will make his preseason debut on Friday when the Nets play the Toronto Raptors in their final exhibition game before the regular season starts next week.

The 19-year-old has been out with a plantar fascia tear, causing him to miss Brooklyn's first three preseason games. Demin suffered the injury after summer league, GM Sean Marks said at the end of September during media day, but head coach Jordi Fernandez noted Thursday that he's been playing five-on-five and is "ready to take the next step."

"So he’s been practicing based on the program that we’ve had for him. As you guys know, it’s been a ramp up and he’s been able to play five-on-five, and now he’s ready to see the floor," Fernandez said, via the New York Post. "So, good news is (Friday) he’ll have some minutes. And that’s exciting. I’m excited for him. He’s done a great job and now we’re ready to take the next step."

Demin, along with fellow rookie guards Nolan Traore (No. 19 pick) and Ben Saraf (No. 26 pick), will all play a major role for the Nets during their rebuilding 2025-26 season.

Traore started both preseason games against the Suns in Macao, China, playing 17 minutes in each and scoring four points and six points, respectively. While Saraf came off the bench in those two preseason games and showed some impressive flashes, dishing out 11 assists in Brooklyn's 111-109 win on Oct. 12.

As for how Fernandez will operate the lineups with all three rookie guards in the mix, the coach is excited to see them fight for minutes while he figures out the rotation.

"Yeah, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know if I can answer the question," Fernandez demurred. "What I’m very excited about is seeing how that process is going to go. They’re all going to fight for some of the same minutes. They’re all going to fight for some of the wing minutes.

"But right now for sure the starting point guard and backup point guard, those three are fighting for those minutes. And that’s great because we’re going to see a lot of the young talent we drafted playing real NBA minutes."

Demin, who's listed at 6-foot-9, averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game over three NBA Summer League contests, shooting 43.5 percent from three-point range. Fernandez believes the rookie's size and skill will be a boost for the team, adding that he wants to see Demin "have fun" in his first preseason minutes.

“Yeah I don’t have too much (expectation) for him as far as he doesn’t need to feel much pressure or anything. I want him to enjoy his first minutes,” Fernandez said.

“Obviously, I’m going to ask him things like I ask everybody else as far as doing certain things with purpose, and play really hard and use his superpowers. That’s his passing and shooting and his size. But don’t overthink it. I don’t want him to try to analyze everything, and just go out there and have fun.”

How ‘night labs' help Xavier Tillman maximize potential for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After entering the league as a second-round pick in 2020, nothing was ever going to be given to Xavier Tillman at the NBA level. Anything he wanted, he was going to have to work for it.

Now set to begin Year 6 of his NBA journey — after ending the preseason with a flourish — the work continues, even with a set role seemingly carved out for him in Boston.

“He’s just the ultimate professional,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after Tillman’s last-second shot to beat the Raptors in the team’s final preseason game Wednesday night. “It’s a credit to him and just his mindset to come in like he has, and he’s given us everything we could ask for.”

While everybody gets to see his work during games and his coaches and teammates see the work that takes place at practice, Tillman revealed that he puts in some extra work at night to make sure he’s maximizing his potential in the NBA.

“The process is really just not being comfortable. Like, the comfortable thing to do is to not do my — I call them night labs, which is when I shoot at night,” Tillman told Celtics insider Chris Forsberg. “But the comfortable thing is to not do the night labs and to just be home every night and just kicking it and just being content with everything that I have.

“I’m grateful for everything that I have, but I’m not content with it. And the separation I guess for me is that I just want the most that I can get out of playing basketball. And so for me, in order to get that, you’ve got to put in the work.”

Tillman noted that the night labs involve more than just shooting.

“You have to do all these extra stretches and get all this treatment and get massages all the time. Even if you’re like, ‘I’m not even that sore,’ you have to do all these things to make sure you’re feeling as good as possible for as long as possible,” he shared.

While the game itself presents numerous variables that determine wins and losses, hard work away from the arena never loses.

“Preparation to me is like, when I say it’s better than the game, it’s more so just getting to see yourself progress and progress and progress and progress, because in a game, you have wins and losses,” he said. “But like when it comes to just progression, working out, there’s not too many losses — as long as you’re pushing yourself in there. So it’s pretty awesome.”

Reggie Miller believes ‘this is the year' the Knicks reach the NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Reggie Miller has a message for New York Knicks fans.

“I will say this, cause people always think that I hate on the Knicks, which I do not, I love the Knicks,” the Basketball Hall of Famer and longtime New York sports villain said Thursday during an NBA on NBC conference call. “If the Knicks cannot get out of the Eastern Conference this year, something is wrong!”

Hear that, Spike?

Some of the potential obstacles on the Knicks’ path to the NBA Finals have been cleared in the eyes of Miller and others with Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers suffering Achilles injuries that are expected to sideline them for most or all of the season.

The Knicks went 51-31 last season to take the third seed in the East behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics. New York upset the Boston in the second round before falling to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks brought back their entire core, added depth with Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, and replaced head coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown.

With both the Celtics and Pacers each missing their top player, and with up-and-coming teams like the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic still developing, the Knicks are expected to compete with the Cavs for the top spot in the East.

“Cleveland had the best record a year ago…they kept their core intact, but they’re still unproven in the playoffs,” Miller said. “To me, the Knicks with their new coach in Mike Brown and the best clutch player in the game from a year ago in Jalen Brunson, I just think everything is set up for the Knicks to win the East. Now again, you’ve gotta go out there and actually do it, but I think this is the year for the Knicks in the East, guys.”

“Well, Reg,” Miller’s fellow NBC analyst Jamal Crawford added, “I’m shocked to hear you give the Knicks this much love.”

It’s in the NBA Finals where Miller thinks the Knicks could run into trouble.

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder open the season Tuesday against the Houston Rockets in the NBA’s long-awaited return to NBC. Miller, who will call the season-opening game on NBC and Peacock alongside Crawford and play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, believes the Thunder are positioned for a potential dynasty.

“Are we seeing the formation of maybe a young Chicago Bulls team here in OKC?” Miller asked – comparing the young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to the Bulls’ 1990s core of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. “With Shai being à la MJ, and J-Dub being à la Scottie Pippen, Chet-Rodman? I mean they have the makeup, the coaching pedigree, they’re very deep and from everything I’ve been reading and watching, they seem very hungry. Look, I know the West is loaded and Denver has reloaded, and Minnesota, but to me OKC, if they stay hungry and healthy I love their chances of repeating.”

The celebration for the upcoming season and the league’s return to NBC got underway Thursday in New York City at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Outside the iconic building is a new LED-basketball court that’s open to the public and a display of 30 customized basketballs – titled “30 Rocks” – designed by local artists to reflect the culture of each NBA team and the unique style of the artist.   

The Larry O’Brien Trophy also made its way to the Top of the Rock.

“The NBA is like no other sport in terms of excitement, energy, greatest athletes, front row seats to it for those of us who get to broadcast the games,” Tirico said, “and I cannot be more excited for next Tuesday in Oklahoma City as they raise the banner and get this started.”

Miller was one of the faces of the league when NBC last broadcasted NBA games from 1990 to 2002. Some of his most memorable performances aired on the network – usually against the Knicks.

“When this opportunity presented itself with NBC, I had some of my best moments on this network,” Miller said. “And personally, for a chance for myself to come home and be able to tell stories and hopefully create new moment for the next generation, personally for me, I’m a kid in a candy store.”