Category: Basketball

Former Blue Devil Cooper Flagg has had an interesting summer. He’s been on Celebrity Family Feud, and had a special NBA Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card issued that was found in Rhode Island this week. The lucky owner of that card has had offers of $1 million, and the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg’s team, have offered 32 years of season tickets for the card.

The Mavericks have also hired Masai Ujiri, who in turn hired GM Mike Schmitz, and fired Jason Kidd, replacing him with former Michigan coach Dusty May.

And the brain trust has been adding muscle and power around young Flagg as fast as possible.

Flagg is still just 19, and while he has dazzling gifts, he is not yet physically mature.

So far, Dallas has added Morez Johnson (6-9/250), Tobi Lawal (6-8/215), Santi Aldama (7-0/215), and Zaccharie Risacher (6-8/200), and they still have PJ Washington (6-7/230).

This is probably for two reasons, according to this article from Yardbarker: first, to protect him, and second, to allow Dallas to use him with maximum flexibility.

As we saw last season, he’s capable of playing either guard spot, and small forward, too. He’s also capable of playing power forward, but he’d probably take a beating, hence the protection.

After what he did as a rookie, it’s going to be amazing to see what he does this year.

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The NBA released its opening-week and Christmas Day schedules on Tuesday and will announce the full schedule on Thursday. The season will officially begin on Tuesday, October. 22, with three high-level games.

Brad Underwood has helped increase the presence of Illini in the NBA, with Illinois producing a first-round pick every year since 2024. Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Kasparus Jakucionis, Will Riley and Keaton Wagler should all see minutes at the NBA level next season.

No Illinois alumni will be playing on opening night, but Dosunmu and Shannon Jr. will take the court for the Timberwolves on the second night of the season. Minnesota will begin its season on Oct. 21 against the Miami Heat. The game will be the first of the night on ESPN, followed by Warriors vs. Lakers.

That will be it for the former Illinois basketball players during the opening week of the season that has already been announced by the NBA. However, the Timberwolves will also play on Christmas Day against the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder should once again be one of the best teams in the league, but the Timberwolves should also be in the mix to compete in the Western Conference.

The NBA’s Christmas Day schedule has been somewhat overshadowed by the NFL in recent years, but five matchups will run throughout the day, with the Timberwolves tipping off against the Thunder on ABC/ESPN at 7 p.m. It will be another great opportunity to watch Dosunmu with his new team and hopefully see Shannon Jr. receive an increased role.

Dosunmu was traded to the Timberwolves in February and excelled during his first 10 postseason games. He stepped into a bigger role during the Nuggets series due to injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. Dosunmu scored 25 points in Game 3 and 43 points in Game 4, helping establish himself as an important piece of Minnesota’s rotation.

Dosunmu signed a five-year, $112 million extension with the Timberwolves this offseason. It was difficult to see him leave Chicago, but it will be great to see him competing for championships for years to come. Dosunmu will enter his sixth NBA season and his first full season with the Timberwolves.

Shannon Jr. will enter his third year in the NBA and with the Timberwolves. He played just 12.5 minutes per game last season but should receive an increased role after his impressive playoff performances. Shannon scored 21 points on 53.3% shooting in the Timberwolves’ final game of the season.

Jakucionis, Riley and Wagler were not included in the opening-week or Christmas Day schedules released by the NBA on Tuesday, but it will be fun to see where these young players land on the schedule early in the season. The full NBA schedule will be released on Thursday.

Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain had a legendary rivalry in the late 1950s and through the 1960s.

But Russell retired in 1969, and you’d think Chamberlain would have reigned unchallenged as the league’s top big man.

That didn’t happen.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then still known as Lew Alcindor, entered the league after winning three straight NCAA championships, and was an immediate sensation.

When he joined the NBA for the 1969-70 season, Jabbar finished second in the league in scoring with 28.8 ppg, and third in rebounding, with 14.5 per game. Naturally, he was Rookie of the Year, and won his first championship in his second season.

When he entered the league, Chamberlain was 33, and his career was starting to wind down. He had had a knee injury in 1969 that was still an issue, and the coltish Jabbar was just getting started.

Nonetheless, Chamberlain had immense pride, and while he acknowledged that Jabbar was his greatest challenge ever as an NBA center, he always had something extra for him when they met.

As you’ll see in this video, these guys didn’t like each other when they played, but they had immense mutual respect.

It was a relatively brief rivalry, but in some ways more intense than the Chamberlain-Russell epic.

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NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.

The 1964-65 season began on a somber note: Walter Brown, the team’s legendary founder and owner, suffered a heart attack and died a few weeks before opening night. Brown was just 59 years old.

Brown helped found the Basketball Association of America, which merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA. He was also instrumental in founding the Ice Capades; managed the Boston Garden; owned the Boston Bruins; was president of the International Ice Hockey Federation; and president of the Boston Athletic Association, which operates the Boston Marathon. Brown also won championships as a hockey coach.

Walter Brown is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame and was inducted posthumously into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1965. When the season opened, the Celtics retired Number 1 in his honor.

The regular season

The Boston Celtics showed no signs of slowing down as they began pursuit of their seventh straight banner. They posted a 62-18 record, the best in league history, while no other team reached 50 wins. Boston won the first 11 games on the schedule, then added win streaks of seven and 16 games.

Russell won the Most Valuable Player award for the fifth time. He averaged 14.1 points per game and led the NBA in rebounding average at 24.1. Unfortunately, Russell played before blocked shots were tracked as an official statistic and also before the introduction of the Defensive Player of the Year award. His overall status as arguably the greatest player in NBA history is shortchanged as a result.

Sam Jones (see below for more about him), Tommy Heinsohn and Russell all played in the All-Star game. This would be Heinsohn’s last hurrah, retiring after nine seasons.

Among those new to the team were draft picks Mel Counts, taken in the first round with overall pick no. 9, and in the third round with pick 27, John Thompson. Counts would play 12 seasons in the NBA, win two rings with the Celtics, then be traded in a significant deal (stay tuned for more), and cross paths again with Boston in the 1969 Finals. Thompson played just two seasons as a backup big, but also won two rings. He made the Hall of Fame too, in the role he’s most known for, coach of the Georgetown Hoyas.

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The first all-black starting five

The Celtics also made on-court history once again in the realm of civil rights.

In the 1964 installment of this series, we reviewed how coach Red Auerbach and the Celtics ignored the unwritten “quota rule” and put five black players on the court at the same time. On December 27, 1964, they took it to the next step. Tommy Heinsohn was injured and Willie Naulls replaced him in the starting lineup, along with regulars Bill Russell, Satch Sanders, Sam Jones and K.C. Jones. The first all-black starting five.

It was a major breakthrough in professional sports at a contentious time and bleak period in American history. And there was more to come from the Celtics on that front because, as Auerbach always stated, he simply wanted to win. And he knew what he was talking about. Together, that lineup won 12 games in a row – 10 of them on the road.

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Sam Jones, the forgotten superstar

Did you know that Sam Jones – no. 24 on the retired numbers banner – won 10 NBA championships, the second most behind Bill Russell? If not, then you probably are also unaware of his five All-Star game selections, three times voted to All-NBA, and induction into the Hall of Fame (inexplicably, he had to wait 15 years for the call).

Jones was, in today’s parlance, a bucket. His signature move was an outside bank shot off the dribble. His career high was 51 points for both regular season and postseason (at Madison Square Garden, winning a closeout game versus the Knicks). Most importantly, Jones was best known for being clutch. We’ve seen it already in this Banner Year series when he scored a series winner in 1962 and 47 points in a Game 7 in 1963.

Jones’ best season was this one, 1964-65, when he played all 80 games; averaged a career-high 25.9 points per game; scored 2,070 points, which at that time was a team record; earned All-NBA second team; and was fourth in MVP voting behind Russell, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.

It’s safe to say that most of today’s NBA fans know of those three megastars, even if they never saw them play. But no one talks about Sam Jones, the forgotten superstar.

Russell called Jones the most skilled teammate he’d ever had. He added that Jones was called upon to take a do-or-die shot in the playoffs six times, and made all six. That’s a real Mr. Clutch.

Fun fact about Sam Jones’ draft position: Jones was eligible for the 1956 Draft and was selected in the eighth round as the 59th overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers. However, Jones chose to return to North Carolina Central College to complete his degree following military service. By rule at that time, returning to school voided the Lakers’ exclusive claim to his player rights, leaving him available for a future draft. The next year, 1957, the Boston Celtics selected him in the first round with the eighth pick overall. If Jones had not returned to college, the Celtics would not have 18 banners, and you wouldn’t be reading this series right now.

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Eastern playoffs

After their customary bye, the Celtics once again faced the dangerous Wilt Chamberlain, who’d gone west with the Warriors’ relocation to San Francisco, but was traded back to his hometown and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers were born when the Syracuse Nationals relocated, to fill the void in Philly after the Warriors departed.

As seemed to be their habit, the first six games were won by the home team, neither being able to separate from the other. Only Game 3 was particularly close, and Philly needed it to avoid a 3-1 deficit. The Sixers dominated the first and third quarters, while the Celtics took the second and fourth. Boston was ahead by two with one second remaining. Sixers guard Hal Greer took the inbounds pass and hit a 35-footer as the buzzer sounded (for two points as the three-point shot wasn’t in use yet). The Celtics protested that the shot was too late, but lacking replay there was nothing left but to play overtime. Philly escaped, 134-131.

Of course, everything came down to the final five seconds of Game 7. It had been a back-and-forth battle for the first 47 minutes, but the Celtics led 110-103, thanks to Sam Jones’ 37 points and 26 from Havlicek. Trying not to foul, Boston backed off on defense, unwisely allowing six quick points by Chamberlain. Then Russell made the worst mistake of his career, losing the ball with five seconds left and a one-point lead feeling extremely vulnerable. But Russell was bailed out by the most memorable play in Celtics history.

The Sixers gave Hondo the opening by not running any sort of action. Watch again: Everyone stood around, no one cutting or setting screens. The heady Havlicek took his position and only had to wait for the ball to come. It was a hallmark of the dynasty, the Celtics executing on the most crucial play to secure the win. Bonus: Johnny Most’s call of the play became legendary and made him famous.

NBA Finals

Survive and move forward, that’s the playoffs in a nutshell, and the Celtics did that. The Finals versus Los Angeles had lost some luster because Elgin Baylor was out after tearing knee ligaments. Boston was an overwhelming favorite and they won without any anxiety.

The matchup

Game 1 was a blowout, Boston leading by 20 after three quarters and finishing 142-110. The Lakers were never in it. Game 2 on the parquet was more typical playoff basketball, hard-fought and close. Jerry West poured in 45 and Dick Barnett added 26, but the Celtics had five men with 20 or more points, winning 129-123.

In LA, Sam Jones dropped 35 in Game 3, but West remained on fire with 43 points in a 21-point Lakers victory to stay alive. However, Game 4 was a different story.

Turning point

Boston trailed by six at halftime of Game 4, but the defense clamped down, enabling the visitors to dominate the second half, 57-38. West was held to 6 of 27 shooting and only 22 points. Final, 112-99, the Celtics taking a 3-1 lead.

The hero we needed

The entire Celtics squad was heroic in Game 5. They were already ahead by 16 when they began the fourth quarter with a barrage of 20 consecutive points. Again and again, the Celtics would get a defensive stop, throw an outlet pass and race the other way for an easy bucket. The Garden crowd was ecstatic. Radio announcer Johnny Most was so delirious he’s lucky he didn’t fall out of his perch in the balcony.

The final score was 129-96, a 33-point destruction. We wouldn’t see something like that again until 2008.

It wasn’t over until…

The series was practically over before it began. Without Baylor, LA was helpless.

Notable facts and stats

• Seven Celtics scored between 10 and 22 points in Game 4.
• Sam Jones led the team in scoring for the series with 27.8 points per game.
• Russell pulled down 25 rebounds per game in the Finals.
• Jerry West topped the Lakers by averaging 33.8 points, but he came up empty in the Finals for the third time versus Boston.
• Tommy Heinsohn retired after this series, scoring 6 points with 8 rebounds in his final game. He won eight championships, was four times All-NBA and a six-time All-Star, as well as Rookie of the Year. We would hear from him again.

Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1965-66 season and the road to winning Banner #9.

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.

Join us live on Friday with guests Harry Moroz and Mickey Jacobs from Order of the Blazing Horse. What questions do you have for the show?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: a Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Friday, August 14th at 5:00 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
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As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

Go Stones.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.

This week’s question is asking you to name the most important Houston Rockets player. Is it Kevin Durant, the Houston leading scorer who hates his teammates? Is it All-Start center Alperen Sengun? How about young guard Reed Sheppard and his shooting? Or Fred VanVleet, who the organization prizes? How about Amen Thompson, who is rumored to be the Rockets’ only untouchable player? Or Steven Adams, who leads the offensive rebounding charge that is a key part of Houston’s offense?

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Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

It’s August, the desert for NBA rumors and news.

As Celtics fans, we’re lucky to spend History Month reminiscing about our eighteen banners and privileged to honor the death of NBA visionary and Celtics champ Don Nelson.

However, this basketball tumbleweed was hard to ignore:

Sources: Several NBA teams have expressed interest to Simmons’ camp, including one West squad that offered a training camp invite. He is also open to signing a vet minimum contract. Simmons has dreams of playing for Australia during 2028 LA Olympics. Attending mini-camp aids hope

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 10, 2026

No, that’s not the son of Celtics superfan Bill Simmons. That’s the #1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft Ben Simmons — and for what it’s worth, Jaylen Brown was selected by Boston at #3. Simmons was last seen with the Clippers after he was waived by the Nets in 2025. Now, here comes a series of big ifs: IF he’s truly healthy and IF he’s willing to play a role and IF everything goes well with his stint with the Australian national team, a Simmons comeback in the NBA could be possible.

It’s unknown if Brad Stevens and the front office are among those interested teams, but if he’s truly regained his athleticism — and maybe more importantly, his confidence — he might be worth a flyer with the team’s 15 roster spot still unfilled.

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Simmons spent part of last year’s sabbatical become a professional sport fisherman and for the Celtics, hooking a potential buy-low candidate could be just what this confusing offseason needs.

This season, the Jazz will be trying something they haven’t tried for four years: to make the playoffs. There is a real shot for them to make it, too. With the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Grizzlies and Darryn Peterson from the draft, they’ve added some top-tier talent. Combine that with the leap that Keyonte George made last season, as well as the possibility of an improved Ace Bailey, and the Jazz are looking like one of the most interesting teams entering the season.

Not everything has been perfect for their chances of winning this season. Utah traded Walker Kessler to the Lakers for a treasure trove of picks when the negotiations didn’t go as planned. As impressive as the trade was for the Jazz and how much they received, it did mean losing depth at center.

All that said, how excited are you for the upcoming season?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country.

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Russell Westbrook is not known to be in advanced negotiations with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The report suggesting otherwise was a social media hoax.

The false claim originated with an X account presenting itself as basketball reporter “Marc Jacobs.” The account asserted that Westbrook and Hapoel had mutual interest, that negotiations were progressing and that the former MVP was seriously considering playing overseas.

It attributed the information to The Athletic, but no corresponding report from the outlet supported those claims. Journalist Philip Lewis subsequently identified the purported source as a parody account.

The Jerusalem Post published an article based on the post, elevating the claim from “mutual interest” to “advanced talks.” ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel could not corroborate it.

There is currently no credible evidence that Westbrook is negotiating with Hapoel Tel Aviv. No agreement has been announced, and the Israeli club has not confirmed talks with the 37-year-old guard.

The episode made Westbrook the latest athlete caught in a growing ecosystem of sports misinformation on X. Parody accounts increasingly imitate the names, profile pictures and posting styles of established insiders, allowing fabricated reports to appear legitimate to users scrolling quickly.

Accounts such as “NBA Centel” and “SharmsCharania” have built large followings through fictional basketball reports designed to resemble breaking news. Other fake insiders have produced fabricated coaching comments, roster moves and front-office changes that were subsequently repeated by aggregators and media outlets.

The incentive extends beyond the amusement of going viral. Front Office Sports has documented how X’s engagement-based monetization can financially reward accounts for generating viral misinformation. Awful Announcing also reported that some fake insider accounts have promoted prediction markets alongside invented scoops.

Westbrook’s unresolved free agency made this particular fabrication believable.

The former Lakers star remains unsigned after averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals with Sacramento last season. He encountered another quiet market in 2025 before joining the Kings on a one-year contract shortly before opening night.

His next destination remains uncertain. An impending move to Tel Aviv, however, is not among the possibilities.

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Judge the two greatest NBA players of this generation by the way they spent their summers.

LeBron James, after his fifth championship, left nothing to chance. The King methodically evaluated the league’s rosters, liked how the Sixers looked after adding Jalen Brown and signed a minuscule contract to secure a new, potentially final home for his throne.

Steph Curry, also looking to join the exclusive five-ring club, has left everything to chance. At least, he put his faith in Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who in turn decided to leave the twilight years of Curry’s magnificent career resting on a roster that won 37 games a year ago.

The Warriors signed zero free agents this offseason. They made no trades. Steve Kerr is back, albeit with some new assistants and a rookie he will almost certainly have to play big minutes.

Yaxel Lendeborg aside, that’s it. 

Golden State will add a few more players to get its roster to 15, but largely, re-signing Draymond Green to a $28 million deal put a ribbon on its roster moves.

“All in all, pleased with our offseason,” Dunleavy said Tuesday. “We like this team.”

Dunleavy held court on a videoconference with reporters, ostensibly to put a wrap on the Warriors’ summer. But there wasn’t much, if anything, to wrap up.

There’s still no timetable on the returns of Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody; their injuries will keep them out into this season. Still no progress on an extension with Brandin Podziemski, though Dunleavy affirmed the Warriors’ desire to get one done. 

And still little to no hope of Curry getting that fifth ring with the roster currently surrounding him.

“If people knew the cold calls I made offering a lot of stuff for players, I think they’d realize how hard we’re trying,” Dunleavy said. “We’re super aggressive.”

Golden State missed out on Giannis, lost the LeBron sweepstakes and reportedly didn’t try for Brown. Many of the calls Dunleavy made were about players who ended up not being moved.

The end result was the same: Curry enters his age-38 season with the same supporting cast that lost in the play-in to the Suns, who went on to be unceremoniously swept by the Thunder.

The Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porzingis. Re-signed Al Horford. Re-signed De’Anthony Melton. Re-signed Gary Payton. Re-signed Green. Drafted Lendeborg. Let Quinten Post walk.

“We had to make a decision between talent and availability,” Dunleavy said. “There was no perfect solution in terms of the combination of the two. I think we leaned a little more toward talent … and hope that we can get some good luck, but also improving some areas medically.”

That’s placing a lot of eggs in the baskets of the health of Porzingis and Horford, who combined to play 60 games for the Warriors last season. Even Curry, while still at the top of his game, is hardly a bastion of health. He was limited to only 43 games last year with a knee issue that Dunleavy described as “delicate” and “something we have to be mindful of.”

Still, Dunleavy said “I see a path” to a championship with the roster as currently constructed. But he added, “We need to get healthy. We need to stay healthy. And then we need to evaluate and see where we’re at. And if we need to get better, I know we can get better.”

Dunleavy indicated that the Warriors will be active in their attempts to improve the roster during the season. Just like this summer. They’d better hope for different results.

If Curry was any other superstar—LeBron, for one example—he would either already be out the door or at least putting immense pressure on Dunleavy to do more.

That’s typically how it goes in the NBA. But that’s not Curry, who has expressed a desire to play for only one team, unlike James, who will suit up for his fourth franchise this season.

Curry is under contract for one more season, at $62.8 million.

Dunleavy expects a deal to get done when Curry is eligible for another extension later this month. He hasn’t heard anything to indicate otherwise from the superstar’s camp.

But did he also speak the unthinkable into existence?

“I’m pretty confident Steph will finish his career here,” Dunleavy said. “But ultimately that’s his call, his decision. 

“Look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe [Lacob] and I will talk it through. We wouldn’t love it, but he’s earned the right to be where he wants and do those things. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he would be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at or he’s looking at.”

For just the second time in six seasons, the Phoenix Suns will not be playing on Christmas. After trading Kevin Durant and buying out Bradley Beal during the 2025 offseason and once again being projected to go under .500 by the sportsbooks, Phoenix will not be one of the ten teams suiting up on the holiday for the second straight season.

The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.

Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 11, 2026

The premier holiday teams play on during the regular season, Phoenix is 13-9 all-time on Christmas, and in their four straight years playing on December 25th from 2021-2024, the Suns went 1-3 with their lone victory coming back in 2024 when Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant combined for 54 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100.

Once Durant was traded and the Suns’ national spotlight dwindled, it was inevitable the team would not be playing on the holiday as often. It’s now been two seasons since Phoenix played on Christmas, and now Durant and Houston are not playing on the holiday as well, as Houston finished last season fifth in the West and lost in the first round to the Lakers. With the emergence of the San Antonio Spurs and a poor season, Houston’s status as a top team in the NBA has diminished, and they are not playing on the holiday despite employing the former Phoenix Suns superstar.

Suns fans will have to wait at least one more year to watch their team on the holiday again.

Just because LeBron James is eating Tastykakes and Wawa sandwiches in the City of Brotherly Love this season, that doesn’t mean the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t still the Golden State Warriors’ biggest rival. The NBA agreed, sending the Dubs down to Los Angeles to open their 2026-27 season against Luka Donic, Austin Reaves, and a revamped Lakers team.

STEPH. LUKA. MUST-SEE TV. 🤩

Stephen Curry and the Warriors meet Luka Dončić and the new-look Lakers in a marquee California showdown during Opening Week of the 2026-27 NBA season!

📅 Wednesday, October 21 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/kU4Sp8VBbG

— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2026

Lakers-Warriors remains a “marquee” matchup for the NBA, so the clash at the Crypto.com Arena will headline ESPN’s doubleheader on the second night of the season, following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game as a member of the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball, who drives like a Floridian, playing his first game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s the second season in a row for this matchup and the fourth time in the last six years the Warriors have opened the season against the Lakers.

The Warriors battled Doncic and Reaves separately in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. It’s been entertaining viewing, especially since Doncic is one of the rare NBA players who yells at the referees more than Draymond Green. The Lakers have a big group of new players for 2026-27, including:

• Walker Kessler
• Sandro Mamukelashvili
• Quentin Grimes
• Collin Sexton
• Kevon Looney
• Jaden Hardy
• Matisse Thybulle
• Cameron Carr

They lost

• LeBron James
• Rui Hachimura
• Marcus Smart
• Luke Kennard
• Deandre Ayton
• Jaxson Hayes

They’re also rumored to be interested in adding Jonathan Kuminga, a transaction that will no doubt be perfectly reasonable and easy to complete with his realistic and understanding agent. But Looney should get a lot of hugs, daps, congratulations for escaping the New Orleans Pelicans, and offensive rebounds where he doesn’t jump more than two inches off the ground.

That’s quite a bit of roster turnover, so the Warriors should have a marked advantage in continuity, veteran leadership, Social Security accruals, folksy sayings, ability to whittle, and slipperiness from Ben-Gay cream.

Another Warriors’ California rival will host the Dubs for their home opener as well. The Warriors will head up Interstate 80 to the Golden 1 Center on Oct. 24 for the beginning of the Darius Acuff Era in Sacramento, which Sacramento Kings fans also hope will mark the beginning of the end of the Zach LaVine Era in Sacramento.They’ll either be lighting the beam or lighting themselves on fire in the capital!

The Warriors are opening the season against the Lakers. The world changes, but some things stay the same every year.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic’s generous offer to his teammates is being copied by one of the star’s biggest rivals.

At the end of July, news broke that Doncic was hosting the entire Lakers’ roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp. Not only was he inviting them to his home country, but he was also paying for all of their flights to and from Europe.

This was seen as a praiseworthy act of leadership from the Lakers’ best player, even though these flights will barely even register in Doncic’s bank account, given that he’s making nearly $50 million this upcoming season.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is making $49 million in this upcoming season. And he seems to have taken inspiration from Doncic’s flight-booking act, as news broke on Monday that Edwards (and his new teammate LaMelo Ball) have offered to pay for their teammates’ flights to Paris for a team workout overseas.

It appears that Minnesota is trying to create camaraderie with their new-look roster that includes Ball. And they chose Paris as their workout location in part because their French star center, Rudy Gobert, lives there in the offseason.

Doncic and Edwards have had many great battles on the court together. And now they seem to be competing when it comes to treating their teammates to nice flights.

It would be fun to find out which of these two ended up paying more for their teammates’ flights. Then again, Edwards had Ball to help foot the bill while Doncic did so on his own.

That seems like another win for the Lakers guard.

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You'd better finish opening your presents quickly because the NBA is bringing the heat early on Christmas Day, with the New York Knicks hosting the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden at noon ET in an NBA Finals rematch.

I had a strong stance on this matchup during the NBA Finals, and it hasn't changed. Let's dive into my early NBA picks for a loaded slate on Friday, Dec. 25.

NBA Christmas Day predictions

The NBA delivered an incredible Christmas Day slate, starting with an NBA Finals rematch before LeBron James returns to Los Angeles to face Luka Doncic as a 76er. 

And while some questioned Golden State's inclusion, Stephen Curry vs. Nikola Jokic as the nightcap is the perfect way to end Christmas Day.

Spurs vs Knicks (12 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Spurs vs Knicks opening odds

Spurs vs Knicks early pick: Knicks -1.5

em-105 at DraftKings/em

The New York Knicks have the matchup advantage against the San Antonio Spurs, just as they did in the NBA Finals, so I'm backing them again on Christmas Day. 

Karl-Anthony Towns' spacing and the starting five's shooting limit Victor Wembanyama's ability to roam defensively. As long as nobody gifts De'Aaron Fox a jumper, New York should cover.

Heat vs Celtics (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Heat vs Celtics opening odds

Heat vs Celtics early pick: Celtics -5.5 

em-110 at DraftKings/em

The Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat matchup is fascinating with Giannis Antetokounmpo now in South Beach.

Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo give the Heat one of the NBA's most imposing interior defenses, but that strength doesn't align with Boston's Mazzulla-ball offense, which is built around bombing away from three rather than attacking the paint.

Give me the Celtics -5.5.

76ers vs Lakers (5 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

76ers vs Lakers opening odds

76ers vs Lakers early pick: 76ers +1.5 

em-115 at DraftKings/em

I'm shocked to see the Philadelphia 76ers as underdogs. I wasn't a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers' free-agent moves, and by Christmas Day, Philadelphia should have plenty of games under its belt to establish roles and usage.

Jaylen Brown was a nightmare for Luka Doncic at the point of attack in the NBA Finals, and I expect more of the same.

Take the Sixers at +1.5.

Thunder vs Timberwolves (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Thunder vs Timberwolves opening odds

Thunder vs Timberwolves early pick: Timberwolves +3.5

em-105 at DraftKings/em

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Lu Dort this offseason, a physical defender who has given Anthony Edwards problems in the past as his primary defender.

Not only did the Thunder lose perimeter depth, but the Minnesota Timberwolves added a major creator in LaMelo Ball. 

That matters here because the Wolves have often forced the ball to Edwards against the Thunder in matchups that aren't favorable for him. Ball can handle the Thunder's pressure and create open looks for the Wolves' secondary scorers. 

Nuggets vs Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Nuggets vs Warriors opening odds

Nuggets vs Warriors early pick: Nuggets -3.5

em-110 at DraftKings/em

I personally have high hopes for the Denver Nuggets next season. I think they caught a ton of bad breaks last season, as they had a hard time integrating Cam Johnson into the offense, while Aaron Gordon missed a ton of time with an injury.

When healthy, this is one of the best starting fives in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors feel like a deflated team heading into next season after missing out on LeBron.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.