Starting 5, September 29: NBA Media Day is here

When your seasons played matches your jersey number.

LeBron James enters his 23rd Media Day as the Lakers and 24 more teams take the spotlight today before the 2025-26 season officially tips off on Oct. 21.

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Sept. 29, 2025

Media Day Mania: How to follow today’s 25 team media days over the next 12 hours

Season Previews: Dive into all 30 team previews featuring key questions, X-factors & more

Early Starters: The first wave of Media Day moments from the five squads already in camp

Key Dates: Opening Night is just 22 days away, with NBC, Peacock & Prime joining ABC & ESPN

Summer Rewind: All the offseason news you might’ve missed, from free agency to EuroBasket 2025

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

The WNBA Finals is nearly set…

One Game For One Spot: Facing elimination at home, the Fever forced a decisive Game 5 back in Las Vegas on Tuesday with a spot in the WNBA Finals on the line. The winner will face the Mercury, who eliminated the Lynx with a furious 4th quarter rally on Sunday.

He’s Back: Just four months removed from rupturing his Achilles during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Boston’s Jayson Tatum is in the gym and on the hardwood, working his way back.

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1. MEDIA DAY IS HERE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The offseason is officially over.

NBA Media Days opened last week with the Knicks, Pelicans, Nets, Suns and 76ers ahead of their departures to participate in this year’s Global Games – in Abu Dhabi, Melbourne and China.

Today, the remaining 25 teams will hold their Media Days in their local markets.

That’s a lot of player interviews, photo shoots, video promos and viral moments to keep up with. Don’t worry, we’re here to help navigate it all with our guide below, beginning with when each team takes the spotlight.

• 9 a.m. ET: Hawks
• 9:30 a.m. ET: Pacers, Raptors
• 10 a.m. ET: Celtics, Spurs, Jazz
• 10:30 a.m. ET: Nuggets
• 11 a.m. ET: Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, Heat, Wizards
• 12 p.m. ET: Bulls, Mavericks, Warriors, Rockets, Grizzlies, Bucks, Thunder, Magic, Trail Blazers
• 2 p.m. ET: Lakers, Timberwolves, Kings
• 3 p.m. ET: Clippers

Looking for wall-to-wall coverage? Catch the best moments throughout the day from every team on the NBA App.

• On The Ground: We’ll be behind the scenes from coast to coast to capture must-see moments from your favorite players and teams on the NBA App
• Live Blog: Need a place to easily keep up with Media Day? The live blog is your one-stop shop for realtime updates from around the league all day long
• NBA Media Day Live: Streaming in the NBA App at 4 p.m. ET, we’ll recap the entire day with coast-to-coast coverage, including player press conferences, analysis & the best moments from every team

Tomorrow, the sneakers hit the hardwood when training camps open for these 25 teams as they begin a three-week sprint to get ready for American Express Tip-Off, which begins Oct. 21 with the return of the NBA on NBC on opening night.

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2. SEASON PREVIEWS: ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR ALL 30 TEAMS

In the three months since the Thunder hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, teams and players have been busy preparing for the upcoming season.

A new season is a reset button. What happened last season is over. What lies ahead is what counts.

With the 2025-26 campaign just three weeks away, we dive into all 30 teams – examining offseason moves, looking at key questions, breaking down X-factors and more – as part of the American Express Season Preview.

See Section 5 for a full summer rewind– from Cooper Flagg leading this year’s draft class to the newest members of the Hall of Fame.

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3. STARTING FIVE: LAST WEEK’S TOP MEDIA DAY MOMENTS

Twenty-five teams step into the spotlight today, but five couldn’t wait.

All prepping for international preseason games, the Knicks, Sixers, Pelicans, Nets and Suns tipped off training camp – and held their Media Days – last week, giving us an early batch of soundbites, snapshots and storylines.

So what stood out? Let’s start with New York and Philly, who open the 2025-26 preseason on Oct. 2 in Abu Dhabi (12 ET, League Pass), where Josh Hart is expecting plenty of love from the Knicks faithful.

• “It’s the passion that New York has,” said Hart on how Knicks fans will heighten the Abu Dhabi Games. “When you have people who really wear their heart on their sleeves … that energy is what makes you feel the difference.”
• Duality Of KAT: Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns had jokes after seeing the lights go out, but his vision for the season remains crystal clear
• Brotherly Love: In Philly, Joel Embiid praised this year’s No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe, noting parallels to his own path to the NBA
• Yay Or Nay: Tyrese Maxey reflected on his busy summer, before asking the media their thoughts on his new look

While two classic rivals get set for Abu Dhabi, three retooled squads are packing for their own overseas trips, with the Pelicans heading to Melbourne for the NBA x NBL series (Oct. 3 & 4), and the Nets and Suns bound for Macao for the NBA China Games (Oct. 10 & 12).

• New Energy In NOLA: Sporting a fresh look, Zion Williamson struck a pose with Herb Jones and new teammate Jordan Poole, before sharing his excitement on the Pels’ rookies
• Brooklyn Buzz: Speaking of rooks, the Nets’ five first-round picks linked up for a first-year photo op, while Michael Porter Jr. spoke on settling into his new city

In the Valley, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks – who joined Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade – donned their new threads for the first time alongside Devin Booker, who has his sights on an NBA title in Year 11.

• “I have unfinished business here,” said Booker on the prospect of bringing a championship to Phoenix. “I know how much it would mean to this city.”
• Green Light: Part of that hunt starts with Green, who’s eager to hoop with the Suns’ all-time leading scorer: “I’m excited to play with Book … I think we’re going to shock a lot of people too.”

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4. KEY DATES: OPENING WEEK USHERS IN A NEW ERA

Ninety-nine days ago, confetti rained down at the Paycom Center as the Thunder hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in front of their home faithful.

Twenty-two sleeps from today, Oklahoma City tips off the new season in that same building – but this year will look different, from Start to Finish.

For the first time in 20 years, NBC returns to the NBA stage, broadcasting Opening Night as OKC raises its championship banner before hosting Houston, followed by the Warriors visiting the Lakers.

Opening Night on NBC & Peacock (Tuesday, Oct. 21)

• Rockets at Thunder (7:30 ET)
• Warriors at Lakers (10 ET)

ESPN’s 24th consecutive season of broadcasting NBA games begins with a pair of doubleheaders during American Express Tip-Off, highlighted by the NBA debut of No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and a 2025 Finals rematch.

Opening Week on ESPN (Wednesday, Oct. 22)

• Cavaliers at Knicks (7 ET)
• Spurs at Mavericks (9:30 ET)

Opening Week on ESPN (Thursday, Oct. 23)

• Thunder at Pacers (7:30 ET)
• Nuggets at Warriors (10 ET)

The 80th NBA season will also include the debut of the NBA on Prime, starting Friday of the season’s opening week with another monster doubleheader between conference foes.

Opening Week on Prime (Friday, Oct. 24)

• Celtics at Knicks (7:30 ET)
• Wolves at Lakers (10 ET)

NBA on Prime is also the exclusive home for 10 Group Play games of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup – which tips off Oct. 31 – as well as the four quarterfinals, two semifinals and the Cup Championship game.

With Prime, NBC and Peacock entering the fold alongside ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and League Pass, fans will have more ways than ever to watch the action, with over 1,200 regular-season games on tap.

Check out the new weekly national broadcast schedule above and everything you need to know for this year’s regular-season slate below:

• Mark Your Calendar: Some of the season’s biggest games across ABC, ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime – from Christmas Day to Rivals Week

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5. SUMMER REWIND: WHILE YOU WERE AWAY

Before the new season tips off, let’s catch up on what you need to know from this summer.

The offseason frenzy didn’t wait for the final buzzer of 2024-25, as Kevin Durant was traded to Houston hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals – sparking a summer full of shakeups. | Offseason Moves By Team

The 2025 NBA Draft also produced some potential franchise-altering additions – beginning with Dallas selecting Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. | Full 2025 Draft Results

From the Green Room in Brooklyn to the bright lights of Las Vegas, the 2025 Draft Class made its mark at NBA 2K26 Summer League, giving fans an early look at the league’s newest talent.

• Flagg Flashes: Dallas’ new do-it-all wing showed why he was the first name off the board with 31 points in just his second Summer League outing
• Buzz City Champs: Flagg’s Duke teammate and this year’s No. 4 overall pick, Kon Knueppel, earned Championship Game MVP as the Hornets stormed to the title in Vegas

The action shifted overseas in September, as NBA stars lit up EuroBasket 2025 – capped by Germany claiming the crown in a thrilling final.

• Golden Trifecta: Watch Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder and Tristan da Silva fuel Germany past Alperen Sengun and Turkey, 88-83, for the title
• Show-Stoppers: Luka Dončić painted a 42-point masterpiece to send Slovenia to the quarterfinals, while Giannis Antetokounmpo powered Greece to the semis and a 3rd-place finish

While Germany struck gold across the pond, a slew of legends slipped into Naismith Orange stateside as the Basketball Hall of Fame enshrined its Class of 2025 – headlined by Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and the 2008 USA Men’s Basketball Team.

• Hall Of Frames: See the eight individual members of the Class of 2025 in their iconic orange jackets
• Active & Immortalized: 17 years after winning Olympic gold with the 2008 Redeem Team, LeBron James and Chris Paul entered the Hall as active players through the team’s enshrinement
• “Your Dream Lives Through Me”: Watch an emotional Melo honor his late father in his enshrinement speech