Per tradition, the National Basketball Association’s yearly Regular Season has returned. After a short offseason, players and fans alike are eager to watch their favorite teams compete for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. The season is about a month in, with surprising teams making their names heard, and players’ drama between them and their teams. The season is only a month in, but the excitement is back like it never left.
Prior to the season, Kyrie Iriving was prohibited from playing for the Brooklyn Nets, due to his refusal to get vaccinated. Kyrie Irving has always been known to be a very independent person, to say the least. He has had controversial situations in the past, whether it be in Cleveland, or on the Celtics, it seems that he puts himself over the team, at base value. When you dig a little deeper, Kyrie is a very “spiritual” and individualistic person, and his reasons for missing games come from his own personal beliefs. The skill is there, as Kyrie has always been a top point guard in the league. The debate on whether or not he is worth the money he is being paid to him stems from the way he balances his personal life with his participation with his team. Another controversial situation is with Ben Simmons, and his reluctance to play with the Philadelphia 76ers. After a very disappointing performance by Ben Simmons in the second round of the playoffs, Ben Simmons began his isolation from the team. Reports kept coming out that he was unhappy with the organization, and he wanted to be traded. Things got so bad that Ben wouldn’t even meet with his teammates. It wasn’t until recently where Ben sporadically returned to the Sixers. It didn’t stop there though, as Ben was reportedly lazy in practice, and ultimately it was decided that he would not be playing for the Sixers at the start of their season. It remains to be seen if Ben Simmons will play for the 76ers this season, or if he will be traded.
The NBA wouldn’t be the NBA without its surprises, and already there have been many. The two first seed teams, at the moment, are the Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors, both teams who missed out on the playoffs last year. The Bulls had an eventful offseason, signing many big name free agents, such as Lonzo Ball, Demar Derozan, and Alex Caruso. The team is building off Zach Lavine and recently acquired Nikola Vucevic. Zach Lavine is a young all star, and surrounding him by a veteran all star, creates a situation where the Bulls are destined to succeed. Time will tell how the chemistry amongst this team develops. Another team surprising a lot of fans are the Golden State Warriors. Last year, they missed the playoffs, despite point guard Stephen Curry’s amazing season. They were critiqued, many saying that their infamous dynasty was over. While that may be true, the Warriors made strides to improve their team this offseason. They added consisten shooters, such as Otto Porter Jr, developed young talent like Jordan Poole, and drafted prospects such as Johnathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. This team, fronted by Steph Curry, arguably the best point guard in the league, has been able to take down some playoff teams, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors and Bulls both sit at a record at the top of their respective conferences, and the best is yet to come for these teams.
The NBA is a worldwide sport. The love for the game has no bounds. As the league celebrates its 75th Anniversary, fans are in store for another eventful season. It’s just the beginning of what will be an intense season, as teams get better, while good teams stay good. Not many teams will be an easy win for any team, so get ready for close wins, monstrous performances, buzzer beaters, and so much more.