The Oklahoma City Thunder will begin their quest for a rare second championship when the 2025-26 NBA season begins on Tuesday, but those hoping to see LeBron James in action in his record-setting 23rd season will have to wait a few more weeks.
James will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening night for the first time in his career, sidelined by a sciatic nerve injury, leaving teammate Luka Doncic to lead the offense.
The Thunder are the headliners of a busy Western Conference, with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers among the top contenders, ESPN analyst Tim Legler told reporters during a conference call.
“The Thunder deserve to be the gold standard to start the season,” Legler said.
Oklahoma City won 68 games last season led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the young core of Chet Holmgren, 23, and Jalen Williams, 24. The Thunder’s balanced offense and size give them a path to be the first team to repeat as champions since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018.
Wolves and Warriors in contention
Minnesota — a conference finalist the last two seasons — remains firmly in the title race thanks to Anthony Edwards’ growth year after year.
The Warriors, who added veteran center Al Horford to their experienced roster of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, are deep and dangerous, Legler said.
“If they’re healthy, the Warriors have a chance to be one of the best teams in the West.”
LeBron reaches 23 seasons
LeBron James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, will add another record when he takes the court for his 23rd season — but the Lakers said he will be out of action until mid-November because he is suffering from sciatic pain on his right side.
Despite the injury setback, the 40-year-old said he is not thinking about retirement.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to play the sport I love for another season,” said James.
“Regardless of how the journey plays out this year, I’m super committed because I don’t know when the end will be. I know it’s much sooner rather than later.”
James’ absence shifted the starting burden to Doncic in his first full season in Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old Slovenian arrived in a surprise mid-season trade from Dallas and entered the training camp thinner after a first-round exit to Minnesota.
Doncic starts among the favorites for the MVP with Nikola Jokic, from Denver, and Gilgeous-Alexander.
Increasing the size
Teams continue to look for size to face the imposing Jokic, said ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson. The Lakers added the talented but oft-injured 7-foot-1 center Deandre Ayton, Golden State brought in Horford, and Dallas secured first-round draft pick Cooper Flagg.
No young center stands out more than Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, who may still be growing.
The 21-year-old Frenchman, listed at 2.26m after a 2.21m rookie year, could now be even taller, possibly an unimaginable 2.31m, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
If healthy, Wembanyama is a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, with a growing offensive game that extends to playmaking and perimeter shooting.
Open dispute in the East
In the East, injuries to Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Halliburton could open the door for the embattled New York Knicks and up-and-coming Cleveland Cavaliers, Legler said.
He expects the Celtics, under coach Joe Mazzulla, to maintain a high-turnover approach to three-point shooting.
The NBA’s 80th regular season begins Tuesday and runs through April 12.
