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Agence France-Presse

Boston Celtics will launch their bid for back-to-back titles, LeBron James will team up with his 20-year-old son and familiar faces debut in new places when the NBA’s 79th season begins on Tuesday.
The Celtics will raise a record 18th championship banner when the New York Knicks visit TD Garden, while James and the Los Angeles Lakers entertain Minnesota in opening-night contests.
Boston fans have not celebrated back-to-back NBA crowns since 1968 and 1969 – the end of the Bill Russell dynasty era – but after ending a 16-year title drought star Jayson Tatum yearns for such glory.
“It was never just about just trying to win one,” Tatum said. “Now you get to be at least in the same room with the other Celtics, great teams, the other great players.
“Now it’s just a conversation of how great are you trying to be, what tier you’re trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?”

Tatum, who helped the US team win Paris Olympic gold this summer, says the Celtics feel different as champions.
“It does feel different being up here as a champion and knowing what it takes, and wanting to be on the top of the mountain as many times as you can,” Tatum said.
Tatum and Jaylen Brown lead a veteran Celtics lineup with star guard Jrue Holiday and injured centre Kristaps Porzingis.
“We want to win a championship every single year – that’s the goal, that’s the standard, that’s the expectation,” Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics coach, said. “Just because something worked before doesn’t mean it’s going to work again. That’s the challenge.”
NBA all-time scoring leader James, who turns 40 in December, joined his eldest son Bronny in the Lakers lineup during a pre-season loss to Phoenix, the NBA’s first father-son combination.
“It was cool for both of us,” LeBron James said. “Definitely a moment I’ll never forget. It was like being in ‘The Matrix’ or something. It just didn’t feel real.”
Star big man Anthony Davis and four-time NBA MVP James sparked the Lakers to the 2023 Western Conference finals, but they crashed out in round one last season.
A huge off-season deal sent centre Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks with forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo going to Minnesota.
New York also added Mikal Bridges and with All-Star guard Jalen Brunson among veterans returning, the Knicks could challenge for their first NBA crown since 1973.
“We can’t just be worried about one team. We’ve got to be worried about the whole Eastern Conference,” Towns said. “To accomplish what we want to do, and what the city is yearning for us to do, we need to be a team not just that beats Boston, but finds a way to beat every team in the East.”
Klay Thompson was traded from Golden State to Dallas, where the four-time NBA champion will partner with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to give last season’s NBA runner-up Mavericks a triple-threat attack.
Swingman Paul George had starred for the Los Angeles Clippers last season but wasn’t re-signed so the 14-year veteran signed a free-agent deal to join star centre Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey at Philadelphia.
Embiid will see limited action on back-to-back nights to keep him healthy into the playoffs.
“We’re very focused on April, May, June,” Daryl Morey, the 76ers president of basketball operations, said. “That doesn’t mean that the time right now isn’t very important as well, but we’re going to be very smart about how we manage him through the season.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard lead Milwaukee while Indiana and Cleveland should contend again for top spots.
The Atlanta Hawks added top NBA Draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, the second Frenchman in a row taken first overall after NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama went to San Antonio last season.
Wembanyama had 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks a game for the Spurs in his debut campaign.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a young Oklahoma City lineup to the top seed in the Western Conference last season and the Thunder will be formidable again along with Denver, powered by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, and Phoenix, featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.


Who is Nicole Young, ex-wife of Dr Dre, who’s being sued by his divorce therapist? The mother of the rapper and producer’s children was the beneficiary in one of Hollywood’s messiest divorces

Meet NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who has beef with Drake: the Sacramento Kings baller was a high school phenom, is loyal to his friends, and played for the Toronto Raptors for 9 years

Who is Ayesha Howard – and is Anthony Edwards her baby daddy? The 38-year-old, who shares a son with rapper Lil Baby, just had a baby girl of unknown paternity … but all signs point to the NBA star

NBA: Tatum drops 37, Celtics batter Knicks to launch title defence in emphatic style

NBA (National Basketball Association)

NBA season opens with Boston Celtics eyeing dynasty, and Knicks chasing first title since 1973

Jayson Tatum says the Boston Celtics are now ready to take their place alongside the franchise’s other great teams. Photo: USA Today Sports

A huge off-season deal sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. Photo: AP

New York Liberty win first WNBA Championship title, down Lynx in dramatic Game 5

The New York Liberty hold up the championship trophy after beating the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5. Photo: AP

Breanna Stewart makes a clutch free throw to tie the game near the end of the fourth quarter. Photo: AP

Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian caught up in prostitute sex scandal allegations

China’s Yi Jianlian holds the ball during a World Cup game against Ivory Coast in Beijing in 2019. Photo: AFP

Yi Jianlian played for the New Jersey Nets as well as several other teams in five seasons in the NBA. Photo: AP

Sport

Basketball

Boston Celtics will raise record 18th championship banner at TD Garden before first game of season on Tuesday


Boston Celtics will raise record 18th championship banner at TD Garden before first game of season on Tuesday.
