NBA 2024-25 season: Schedule, title favorites, key players, how to watch | Basketball News

As the 2024-25 National Basketball Association (NBA) season approaches, the NBA's 30 teams are making final preparations for 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 begins on Tuesday, October 22nd with the New York Knicks visiting the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, starting at 23:30 GMT (6:30 p.m. local time) at the TD Garden Arena in Boston.

What is the format?

• In the regular season, the 30 teams play 82 games over a seven-month period.
• At the end of the season, the top six teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences 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 seventh and eighth postseason spots in each conference.

Who are the favorites for the title?

• In the Eastern Conference, the NBA champion Boston Celtics are the unanimous choice of bookmakers and league officials to win the conference again and are also the favorite team to be crowned champions again. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are considered by many basketball commentators 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 conference. Close behind are several strong title contenders: the Denver Nuggets, last year's NBA runner-up Dallas Mavericks, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns.

What are the key dates in the 2024-25 NBA schedule?

• October 22, 2024: The NBA regular season begins
• November 2, 2024: NBA Mexico City Game 2024 (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
• November 12, 2024: The Emirates NBA Cup (the seasonal tournament) begins
• December 17, 2024: Emirates NBA Cup Championship
• January 23 and 25, 2025: NBA Paris Games (San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers)
• February 6, 2025: NBA trade deadline
• 14th-16th February 2025: NBA All-Star Game (in San Francisco, California)
• April 13, 2025: The NBA regular season ends
• 15th-18th April: NBA Play-In Tournament
• April 19: The NBA playoffs begin
• June: NBA Finals (exact dates to be announced)

Three trending storylines 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 as LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, becomes the first player to share the court with his son.

LeBron's team, the Los Angeles Lakers, will play their opening game of the regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, October 22nd. Will this be the day father-son history is made, or will it drag on well into the season?

#2. The race for MVP: SGA vs. Luka

Oddsmakers expect Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic to be the two main contenders for the NBA regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Last season, both players put up incredibly impressive numbers: SGA averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 75 games; and Doncic averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds in 70 games.

Adding to the tantalizing MVP race between this pair is that the two superstars play in the same conference and their teams are developing a budding rivalry after playing six games in a spirited Western Conference second-round clash last season with Doncic's team won.

#3. NBA teams are fighting to draft Cooper Flagg

Flagg may be the most hyped rookie small forward prospect since Lebron James was drafted in 2003.

The 17-year-old Flagg isn't even in the NBA yet and recently committed to play for US college powerhouse Duke University for the 2024-25 season.

But with the 6-foot-1 Newport, Maine, native considered the consensus No. 1 pick in next year's draft, several NBA teams are expected to drop out – a common practice in which already struggling teams are incentivized to lose more – to increase their chances of landing the number one draft pick in 2025.

With Flagg a potential franchise saver on the horizon, the 2024-25 NBA season could be defined by both the race for the bottom spot and the top spot.

Which key players changed teams in the offseason?

#1. Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers

Long considered the archetypal small forward in today's NBA – tall, an excellent shooter and with 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 is a nine-time NBA All-Star and six-time member of the All-NBA Team, as well as a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team.

The 34-year-old's arrival in Philadelphia completes perhaps the NBA's deadliest Big Three combination entering the 2024-25 season, joining George with former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid and the most recently improved player The league's teammate this season, guard Tyrese Maxey.

#2. Karl Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks

The 6-foot, 11-inch (2.11 m) forward was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks, where he will form one of the league's deadliest one-two combinations with lively point guard Jaylen Brunson.

Towns, a four-time NBA All-Star, is one of ten players in NBA history to average at least 22 points and ten rebounds per game over the course of their career (at least 500 total games).

The 28-year-old's arrival at the storied Knicks franchise makes them one of the NBA title favorites for 2024-25.

The Knicks hope Towns' arrival at Madison Square Garden will bring their long-suffering fans their first NBA title since 1973.

Where did the 30 teams finish last season?

2023-24 NBA Standings (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

2023-24 NBA Rankings (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. For cable/satellite services in your area, check your local TV guides.

You can follow the action on Al Jazeera's dedicated basketball page with all the latest news and features, as well as event preparation and live text commentary for select NBA games in the 2024-25 season.