All eyes on Celtics, James duo as NBA season unwraps

NEW YORK (AFP) — Defending champion Boston launches a quest for back-to-back titles, LeBron James teams with his 20-year-old son and familiar faces debut in new places when the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) 79th season begins on Wednesday (Manila Time).

The Celtics will raise a record 18th championship banner when the New York Knicks visit Boston while James and the Los Angeles Lakers entertain Minnesota in opening-night contests.

Boston fans have not celebrated back-to-back NBA crowns since 1968 and 1969 — the end of the Bill Russell dynasty era — but after ending a 16-year title drought star Jayson Tatum yearns for such glory.

“It was never just about just trying to win one,” Tatum said.

“Now you get to be at least in the same room with the other Celtics, great teams, the other great players.”

“Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be, what tier you’re trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?”

Tatum, who helped the US team win Paris Olympic gold, says the Celtics feel different as champions.

“It does feel different being up here as a champion and knowing what it takes and wanting to be on the top of the mountain as many times as you can,” Tatum said.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead a veteran Celtics lineup with star guard Jrue Holiday and injured center Kristaps Porzingis.

“We want to win a championship every single year — that’s the goal, that’s the standard, that’s the expectation,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

“Just because something worked before doesn’t mean it’s going to work again. That’s the challenge.”

NBA all-time scoring leader James, who turns 40 in December, joined his eldest son Bronny in the Lakers lineup during a pre-season loss to Phoenix, the NBA’s first father-son combination.

“It was cool for both of us,” LeBron James said.

“Definitely a moment I’ll never forget. It was like being in ‘The Matrix’ or something. It just didn’t feel real.”

Star big man Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James sparked the Lakers to the 2023 Western Conference finals but they crashed out in round one last season.

A huge off-season deal sent center Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks with forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo going to Minnesota.

New York also added Mikal Bridges and with All-Star guard Jalen Brunson among veterans returning, the Knicks could challenge for their first NBA crown since 1973.

“We can’t just be worried about one team. We’ve got to be worried about the whole Eastern Conference,” Towns said.

“To accomplish what we want to do, and what the city is yearning for us to do, we need to be a team not just that beats Boston but finds a way to beat every team in the East.”

Klay Thompson was traded from Golden State to Dallas, where the four-time NBA champion will partner with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to give last season’s NBA runner-up Mavericks a triple-threat attack.

Swingman Paul George had starred for the Los Angeles Clippers last season but wasn’t re-signed so the 14-year veteran signed a free agent deal to join star center Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey at Philadelphia.

Embiid will see limited action on back-to-back nights to keep him healthy into the playoffs.

“We’re very focused on April, May, June,” 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said. “That doesn’t mean that the time right now isn’t very important as well, but we’re going to be very smart about how we manage him through the season.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard lead Milwaukee while Indiana and Cleveland should contend again for top spots.

The Atlanta Hawks added top NBA Draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, the second Frenchman in a row taken first overall after NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama went to San Antonio last season.

“Wemby” had 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks a game for the Spurs in his debut campaign.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a young Oklahoma City lineup to the top seed in the Western Conference last season and the Thunder will be formidable again along with Denver, powered by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, and Phoenix, featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.