Will the favorites actually win?

Will the players tab for big breakouts actually have them?

Well, one team take a secret back hallway to burst into the other team's locker room.

I mean, you never know.

Still, even for a league that can light the Internet on fire on any given night, way have never kicked off the season with as many mysteries as the season we're kicking off tonight.

Forget not knowing who the rookie of the year is going to be.

We don't even know if all the games are going to take place on the nights they are scheduled Thio, or what the back half of that scheduled even is.

Think about this.

We have an MBA team, the Raptors, who don't know what city they will be playing income.

April.

That is crazy, much like with the bubble, the teams that can best handle all this uncertainty or the ones being predicted to thrive.

Cesar's William Hill says more money has been bet on the Lakers to repeat than has been bet on every other team combined.

Having LeBron and A D certainly helps there, too.

And tonight we're going to get a taste of how motivated the defending champs really are with another l A vs L.

A showdown at Staples Center.

Will the Lakers pregame ring ceremony feel special even without fans in the building?

Yeah, Will the Clippers be attacking the court like a team with something to prove?

Or will they once again seem to be going through the regular season treading water again?

We don't know.

Just like with tonight's other opening game.

WARRIORS Nets This was supposed to be one of the spicier matchups at the start of the season, with Kevin Durant facing his former fellow co stars.

Except Clay is out for the year with an Achilles injury, and Draymond is gonna miss tonight's game to with a sore right foot.

Still, it's gonna be pretty wonderful to see Kevin Durant's first official game in 18 months.

So far, he's looked as fluid as ever and comfortable to alongside Kyrie, who, frankly, he could burn as much stage as he wants if he keeps performing this kind of magic around the hoop.

Katie has been trying for years to take the title of the league's best player.

Is this the season?

He manages it?

Yeah, again, we don't know.

We also don't know where James Harden, Ah, player who has finished top five and M v p voting six of the past seven years.

We don't know where that kind of player is going to be.

Finishing out.

Hiss season.

The Rockets air so far, holding firm on not trading him until they get a blockbuster offer.

Then again, the athletic reported that James threw a ball at a teammate and practice recently.

So, yeah, we'll just have to see how all this goes, which I guess is the official motto for this season.

We'll see how this goes.

It's not what we expected, but nothing right now is on.

There's also something pretty cool about feeling like we're in a basketball moment where for once truly anything can happen, anything, anything.

And Paul Pierce will have his phones ready.

We're so pumped for the doubleheader tonight on TNT.

The Lakers were gonna get their rings right, So the B I don't know.

Uh, it'll be sort of a celebratory atmosphere, right?

And the first game of the night, we get to watch K.

D s first game against the Warriors.

So look, in honor of that long awaited match up, we're gonna run back some of the most memorable reunion games in recent memory.

Oh, Christmas day 2000 four.

That was warm.

Yeah.

Came back in L.

A.

Against Kobe after getting traded to the heat.

Uh, yeah.

Who ended up winning the championship that year?

Who did?

I think The heat?

No, they It was what they wanted.

They wanted the next year.

Stop trolling Richard.

On December 2nd, 2010, LeBron played his first game back in Cleveland after taking his talents to South Beach.

Yeah.

How did that?

How do you think that went people through batteries of this game?

Yeah, well, the cool thing batteries of these guys.

The cool thing is, they were gonna be cheering for him just three years later.

That's just a little Did they know that they know November 3rd, 2016.

We can't forget this one k d.

Playing his first game against arrest after leaving.

Okay.

Scene for Oakland.

Yeah, he went off right here.

Yeah.

Look at that later.

Then rushed out a little fire getting into it.

Still friendly.

You knew that was gonna happen.

Yeah.

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