The NBA 2024–2025 season has started! Here’s all you need to know

The 24–25 season of the NBA comes with a promise of excitement, historic moments, and heated competition. The league is celebrating new milestones and facing some intriguing challenges while being packed with superstars and new talents – the fans are in for a spectacle.

What is the NBA format?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) consists of 30 teams divided into Eastern and Western conferences. The regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games in total.

In the end, 16 teams (8 from each conference) advance to the playoffs, which culminate with the NBA Finals championship series. The playoffs are structured in a best-of-seven series format, with teams seeded based on their regular-season records. The winning team is crowned the new NBA Champion.

Key dates for the 24–25 season

Some twists to the regular season

Additional tournaments, days packed with games, and fun tweaks to the calendar that will keep fans entertained and occupied. This NBA season raises the bar pretty high!

The Emirates NBA Cup

A couple of years ago, NBA announced an in-season tournament as a way to break the monotony of the regular calendar. Now called the Emirates NBA Cup, the competition promises to create a mid-season burst of intensity and competition that mirrors the do-or-die nature of March Madness.

The Cup features all 30 teams that pool-play through the knockout rounds. The winning team receives both a financial reward and a special trophy.

The Play-In Tournament

This mini-tournament is a final chance for some of the teams to advance to playoff glory. It pits the teams that finished in the 7th through 10th place in each conference for a shot at the final playoff spots.

The 7th and the 8th teams play each other, with the winner securing the 7th spot. The loser faces the winner of the matchup between the 9th and 10th seeds. The victor of the second contest earns the final 8th spot.

Storylines to follow in the 2024–2025 season

The latest NBA season is shaped by several key narratives, both on and off the court. Here’s what will keep you glued to the screen throughout the year:

The historic father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James

Widely considered as one of the best players in the history of basketball and regarded as among the richest athletes in the world, LeBron James is now entering his 22nd NBA season. He has also long expressed his desire to share the court with his son Bronny James before retiring.

The gripping race for MVP

Every season, the race for MVP becomes another hot topic and a focal point, and this year is no different. Two young superstars expected to dominate that conversation are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks.

Cooper Flagg: The next generational talent

Cooper Flagg is expected to be the next big name in the NBA! He is projected as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and flagged (no pun intended) as the next generational super talent. Flagg has drawn comparisons to legends like Kevin Durant for his shooting and ability to impact both ends of the court.

With several teams expected to be at the bottom of the standings, the possibility of them tanking for a shot at the athlete is huge. They are expected to prioritise draft position over immediate success because all of them want Flagg and his influence and talent for the following season.

Season two for Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs are still rebuilding, but with Wembanyama at the centre of their future, expectations for him to continue his rapid development are high. Fans will be watching to see if he can avoid the infamous sophomore slump and solidify himself as one of the top players in the league.

Saying goodbye to a TV institution

This season is also the farewell one of TNT’s “Inside the NBA” program and crew as the contract between the league and the media is ending at the conclusion of it.

The show hosted by Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal is celebrating its 35th and final season with its infamous expert analysis and comedy commentary. For many NBA fans, this will be an emotional farewell to a show that has shaped the way basketball is covered and entertained millions.

Who will be the next NBA Champion?

The Boston Celtics enter the 2024–2025 season as the ones favoured to win the championship. The reigning champions have retained their star-studded core led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and look ready to repeat last season’s success and defend their title.

However, they aren’t the only ones. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by SGA, are also pegged as top contenders, while the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Dončić, are looking for another chance to finish what they couldn’t in the last season.

Let’s not forget about the former champions, Denver Nuggets. They are predicted to face challenges in repeating their success, but with Nikola Jokić at the helm, they cannot be counted out.