NBA Season Tips Off
Steven Higgins
Sports Writer
The 2021 NBA season is officially underway, with many familiar faces like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and James Harden back to compete for their respective teams. This year is a little bit more ceremonious as the National Basketball Association is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary. To honor the leagues’ history, the Association released a list of the top seventy-five players to ever play in the NBA. Obviously, older players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal were on the list. But the list included players still active, including Kevin Durant and Lebron James. This lead a few players, most notably Warriors guard Klay Thompson, wondering publicly why they had been left out, which added some tension before a minute had been played.
Heading into the offseason there were many teams that were extremely aggressive to get new players to benefit their rosters. Some of the most notable names to switch teams include point guard Russell Westbrook being traded from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers also acquired Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard in free agency and the Wizards acquired point guard Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency as he left the Brooklyn Nets. Kemba Walker signed with the New York Knicks coming over from their rival the Boston Celtics. Long-time Raptor Kyle Lowry left to go down south to join the Miami Heat along with veteran PJ Tucker and DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball teamed up together on the Chicago Bulls.
NBA opening night took place on October 21st and featured two prime-time games that included four of the league’s most elite teams. The reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks hosted the Brooklyn Nets, after the championship ring ceremony the two teams clashed and the Bucks defended their home court as they dominated Brooklyn by a score of 127 to 104. Former MVP and Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo took over the game by putting up thirty-four points, fourteen rebounds, and seven assists. Then the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were able to come away with a victory on the road by a score of 121 to 114. Superstar point guard Steph Curry filled up the stat sheet as he totaled twenty-one points, ten rebounds, and ten assists for a triple-double.
The majority of the other NBA teams opened their seasons on Wednesday night. The highlight of the night was a game aired nationally on ESPN between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Walker made his Knicks debut along with another ex-Celtic, Evan Fournier, against their former team. Walker’s replacement Dennis Schroder made his Celtics’ debut and the game went into double overtime with Jaylen Brown of the Celtics and Julius Randle of the Knicks putting up big games. Later that night, the defending Western Conference champions Phoenix Suns lost to the Denver Nuggets who were led by 2020 Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic. The Chicago Bulls also debuted their new-look lineup with DeRozen and Ball joining Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and ex-Laker Alex Caruso. The Bulls defeated the Pistons, who had first overall pick, Cade Cunningham, making his NBA debut.
This season looks prominent and poised for drama. There are plenty of heated rivalries at a boiling point, young players whose greatness is yet to be seen, and established players who are desperately trying to add to their legacy. But, most important of all, there is no clear favorite to win the title. Since the fall of the Warriors, there has been a power vacuum that has made every year, playoff round, and regular season minute important since half the league is essentially dead even. Will a new superpower emerge in the coming years? If not, who will scrape away at the end for ultimate glory? We will all be watching closely to find out.
Contact Steve at steven.higgins@student.shu.edu