Jayson Tatum was already a proven winner before last season.
In Tatum鈥檚 first six seasons, no NBA player won more games with one team than he did. Tatum played in 334 wins with the Boston Celtics over that span, including playoffs. He was a five-time All-Star, a legitimate MVP candidate, a four-time All-NBA pick, even an Olympic gold medalist.
He just wasn鈥檛 a champion.
鈥淚 had to listen to all the (stuff) that people said about me,鈥� Tatum said.
That鈥檚 all in the past now. to that crown, and when the season starts on Tuesday night in Boston 鈥� where last season ended 鈥� Tatum doesn鈥檛 seem to be considering it the start of a title defense. He鈥檚 looking at it as the start of a chase for a 19th title, and according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Celtics are the favorite to claim the 2025 championship.
鈥淚t was never just about trying to just win one,鈥� said Tatum, who to his collection this summer. 鈥淣ow you get to be mentioned with 鈥� at least be in the same room with 鈥� the other Celtics great teams, great players. All the guys that I looked up to growing up at least won one championship. Now it鈥檚 just a conversation of: 鈥楬ow great are you trying to be? What room or what tier are you trying to be mentioned in when it鈥檚 all said and done?鈥欌��
That journey starts with ring night in Boston, where the Celtics take on New York in the first game of a doubleheader to formally open the league's 79th season. The nightcap is Minnesota at the Los Angeles Lakers, a game that will see by playing in a 22nd NBA season 鈥� and potentially the first official game are teammates, with
There will be challengers to a Boston repeat, and a lot of them. New York (adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns) and Philadelphia (adding Paul George) loaded up to try to supplant Boston atop the Eastern Conference. And there are rising teams in the East as well, like the Paolo Banchero-led Orlando Magic and Donovan Mitchell-led Cleveland Cavaliers 鈥� who made Round 2 of the playoffs last season.
鈥淲e've just got to keep our foot on the gas,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e've got to keep going.鈥�
And the Western Conference also has several contenders.
BetMGM has Oklahoma City 鈥� the No. 1 seed in the West last season, led by MVP hopeful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 鈥� as the narrow favorite to win that side of the league, with 2023 NBA champion Denver, reigning West champion Dallas and a Minnesota team that went to the West finals a season ago all in the mix.
鈥淵ou have to be careful with expectations put on outcomes,鈥� Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. 鈥淎round here we really emphasize putting expectations on processes, how we show up every day, how we go about our work, what we do, and the attention of detail that we do it to. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e really focused on.鈥�
helped the U.S. win Olympic gold this summer; the Warriors can never be counted out. And with James, neither can the Lakers.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the hunters, amongst many other teams,鈥� Curry said. 鈥淲hat can this team do to maximize every skill set that we have in that locker room? That鈥檚 the challenge for us.鈥�
The West is just loaded. But these Celtics 鈥� who return virtually intact from a year ago 鈥� know what it takes to be the last team standing.
鈥淏oston can say whatever they want to say. They鈥檝e earned it. They beat all of us and they were crowned,鈥� Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. 鈥淪o, they can feel however they want to feel going into this season. With that said, (they) still have to earn it. But it鈥檚 a new season, new year. There鈥檒l be a bunch of teams that are gunning for that title.鈥�
Coaches on the move
JJ Redick was coaching earlier this year. He's now coaching the Los Angeles Lakers.
Redick is one of three coaches about to make their NBA debuts, joining Charlotte's Charles Lee and Brooklyn's Jordi Fernandez.
Other coaches who have new jobs entering this season are Mike Budenholzer in Phoenix (a franchise he led Milwaukee past for the 2021 NBA title), along with Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland and JB Bickerstaff in Detroit. Bickerstaff coached the Cavaliers last season and the schedule-makers just happened to have the Pistons as the opponent for Cleveland's home opener on Friday.
Technically, Brian Keefe is a new coach as well. He finished last season as Washington's interim coach for the final 39 games, and had the interim tag removed over the offseason.
Half of the league's coaches 鈥� 15 of the 30 鈥� enter this season having completed two years or less with their current clubs.
Key dates to know
Some notable events this season:
鈥擭ov. 2: Miami plays Washington in Mexico City.
鈥擭ov. 4: All 30 teams will be in action, with all start times staggered 15 minutes apart.
鈥擭ov. 5: For the third straight year, no games will be played on Election Day.
鈥擭ov. 12-Dec. 17: is back for a second season, with the semifinals on Dec. 14 in Las Vegas and the title game there three days later. The Lakers are the defending champions.
鈥擠ec. 25: are San Antonio at New York, Minnesota at Dallas, Philadelphia at Boston, Lakers at Golden State and Denver at Phoenix.
鈥擩an. 20: The league celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Among the highlight games are Minnesota at Memphis and Boston at Golden State.
鈥擩an. 23 and 25: Reigning returns to Paris, with San Antonio taking on Indiana in two games there.
鈥擣eb. 6: The trade deadline.
鈥擣eb. 16: The NBA All-Star Game takes place in San Francisco.
鈥擜pril 11 and 13: The last two game days of the regular season, with all 30 teams in action both days.
鈥擜pril 15-18: Play-in tournament, followed by the playoff openers on April 19.
鈥擩une 5: The 2025 NBA Finals begin.
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AP NBA:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
