The 2023/2024 season kicks off on October 24th with the opening night and the ring ceremony for the reigning champions, the Nuggets, in their matchup against the Lakers. As usual, a grand Christmas menu with 5 games, with the highlight being the classic Lakers vs. Celtics showdown. The new feature is the In-Season Tournament with a Final Four in Las Vegas on December 7th and 9th, with repeat games in Mexico City and Paris.
The curtain will rise on Tuesday, October 24th with the opening night and two must-watch games: the Golden State Warriors will host the Phoenix Suns in a clash between former teammates Chris Paul and Kevin Durant. The main event, however, will be the Denver game between the reigning champion Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers led by LeBron James. It’s a special night with a ring ceremony for Nikola Jokic and his teammates.
On the following day, October 25th, Victor Wembanyama will make his debut, having been the first overall pick of the 2023 Draft, with the San Antonio Spurs playing at home against the Dallas Mavericks, featuring Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. On the 26th, during the traditional TNT Thursday Night, there will be two big matchups: Lakers vs. Suns, marking the first duel between James and Durant since 2018 (in theory…), and Bucks vs. 76ers in Milwaukee, featuring the reigning MVP Joel Embiid (will Harden also be there?) visiting Giannis Antetokounmpo. On October 27th, the spotlight will be on the Celtics-Heat game in Boston, a rematch of the last two Eastern finals, while on November 1st, the first Los Angeles derby between the Lakers and the Clippers will take place.
The sports betting site bwin offers odds for the final victory of the tournament, with the Celtics as the number one favorites at 4/1 odds. The Bucks also have a chance to win, according to bwin, with the same odds of 4/1. The Nuggets follow with odds of 11/2, while the Suns are priced at 13/2.
As per tradition, Christmas Day is one of the NBA season’s highlights, a showcase that league commissioner Adam Silver offers to fans around the world. The day will start, as always, in New York, with the Knicks hosting Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Following that, although the order isn’t yet clear due to the NFL schedule, the games will be: Heat vs. 76ers in Miami, the classic Lakers vs. Celtics in Los Angeles, Durant’s Suns, along with Booker and Beal, hosting Doncic, Irving and the Mavericks. Finally, the reigning champion Nuggets, led by Jokic and Murray, will play against the Warriors, featuring Curry, Green, and Chris Paul.
The main attraction of the 2023-24 season is the In-Season Tournament, which will conclude on December 7th and 9th in Las Vegas. All 30 teams, divided into 6 groups of 5, will play qualification matches on Tuesdays and Fridays as part of the regular season schedule, starting from November 3rd.