Denver Nuggets open with LA Lakers, Wembanyama debuts on Oct 25 as NBA schedule unveiled
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Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (left) and centre Nikola Jokic during the championship parade after they won the 2023 NBA Finals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK – Champions Denver Nuggets will host the Los Angeles Lakers to open the new National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season, while French prodigy Victor Wembanyama will make his debut the following night in the 2023-24 league schedule revealed on Thursday.
The campaign will open on Oct 24 and conclude on April 14, 2024, with each club playing 82 regular-season contests as well as competing in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which tips off on Nov 3 and ends in Las Vegas on Dec 9.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham, whose side started 2-10 last season, is approaching the new term with more optimism. While at the Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa recently, he said: “We added a lot of depth, a lot of guys who have skill, size and athleticism, so I look forward to all of that coming together... The sky is the limit for what we will be able to do.”
Also on opening night, the Phoenix Suns will visit the Golden State Warriors, matching 12-time NBA All-Star guard Chris Paul against the Suns squad that traded him away.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will power Golden State against the Suns’ Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Curry has been understandably thrilled to link up with fellow guard Paul. He told ESPN recently: “It’s a beautiful thing about basketball, you can’t write these narratives. To go full circle, we’ve had a lot of battles over the years.
“He’s in Year 18, I’m going into Year 15, it’s amazing we have an opportunity to play together, and hopefully win at the highest level. He’s super competitive, and so am I. I’m going to enjoy the ride.”
Teen star Wembanyama, the 2.23m top pick in 2023’s NBA Draft, will line up for the San Antonio Spurs on Oct 25 against the visiting Dallas Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
That same day sees Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown hoping to spark the Boston Celtics as they visit the New York Knicks.
The NBA’s Dec 25 schedule comprises five Christmas feature match-ups – Milwaukee at New York, Golden State at Denver, Boston at the Lakers, Philadelphia at Miami and Dallas at Phoenix.
Rematches of the 2022 NBA Finals contest will find the Miami Heat at Denver on Feb 29 and March 13 in Miami.
Wembanyama and 2023’s No. 2 draft pick, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, will meet when the Hornets visit San Antonio on Jan 12, while the 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be played in Indianapolis on Feb 18.
The NBA will stage pre-season games in Abu Dhabi, Montreal and Vancouver. Paris, host city for the 2024 Olympics, will host an NBA regular-season game on Jan 11, 2024, when the Brooklyn Nets face the Cleveland Cavaliers. AFP
