NBA season preview 2023-24
REGULAR SEASON: OCT 24, 2023 - APR 14, 2024 NBA FINALS: JUN 6-23, 2024

The 78th National Basketball Association season launches with the Denver Nuggets as reigning champions after beating Miami Heat to claim their maiden title. This year features the inaugural NBA Cup – an in-season tournament set to take place in November – before traditional play-offs decide the Eastern and Western champions to clash in the NBA Finals

Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) battles Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love (Miami Heat)
during 2023 NBA Finals

KROENKE SPORTING EMPIRE: Denver’s triumph clinched fourth major North American sports title for owner Stan Kroenke – who also owns London-based Premier League club Arsenal

Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers. Averaged 33.1pts in regular season to claim Most Valuable Player award for first time last season

Denver Nuggets     Basketball         Title: 2023 
Los Angeles Rams   American Football     2021
Colorado Avalanche Ice Hockey            2022
Colorado Mammoth   Lacrosse              2022
Arsenal            Soccer             2023: 2nd


RACE AGAINST TIME: LeBron James (left) could become first player in NBA history to reach 40,000-point mark – needing 1,348 points this season to achieve feat

MOST POINTS IN NBA HISTORY
Regular season. Players with over 30,000pts

LeBron James       Games: 1,421    38,652
Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1,560     38,387
Milwaukee Bucks, LA Lakers

Karl Malone  1,476     36,928
Utah Jazz, LA Lakers

Kobe Bryant 1,346    33,643
LA Lakers

Michael Jordan 1,072        32,292
Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards

Dirk Nowitzki   1,522    31,560
Dallas Mavericks

Wilt Chamberlain 1,045    31,419
Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, LA Lakers


Damian Lillard joined Milwaukee as Bucks emerge as early title favourites

 
NBA Franchises
Two conferences, each with 15 teams divided into three divisions:

Regular season games
82


Trail Blazers
Division: Northwest

Warriors Pacific

Kings Pacific

Clippers Pacific

Lakers Pacific

Jazz Northwest

Suns Pacific

Nuggets Northwest

Thunder Northwest

Mavericks Southwest

Timberwolves Northwest

Bucks Central

Bulls Central

Grizzlies Southwest

Pelicans Southwest 

Rockets, Southwest

Spurs Southwest

Pistons Central

Pacers Central

Cavaliers Central

Toronto Raptors Atlantic

Celtics Atlantic 

Knicks Atlantic 

Nets, Atlantic 

76ers, Atlantic

Wizards Southeast 

Hornets, Southeast 

Hawks Southeast

Magic Southeast

Heat Southeast 


Opening fixtures
Away team All games Oct 25 except where indicated  Home team
Los Angeles Lakers  Ball Arena (Oct 24)   Denver Nuggets
Phoenix Suns        Chase Center (Oct 24) Golden State Warriors
Atlanta Hawks       Spectrum Center       Charlotte Hornets
Washington Wizards  Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indiana Pacers
Boston Celtics      Madison Square Garden  New York Knicks
Houston Rockets*    Amway Center           Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers Barclays Center        Brooklyn Nets
Detroit Pistons          Kaseya Center     Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves*  Scotiabank Arena  Toronto Raptors
Oklahoma City Thunder*   United Center     Chicago Bulls
New Orleans Pelicans     FedExForum        Memphis Grizzlies
Sacramento Kings         Delta Center       Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks         Frost Bank Center  San Antonio Spurs
Portland Trail Blazers   Crypto.com Arena   Los Angeles Clippers
Philadelphia 76ers       Fiserv Forum (Oct 26)   Milwaukee Bucks 

*Interleague game between Eastern and Western conference

NBA FINALS: Eastern Conference teams edge series with 40 wins to Western Conference’s 37. Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics hold joint record with 17 titles apiece

2023 Denver bt  Miami 4-1 
2022 Warriors    Boston 4-2
2021 Milwaukee   Phoenix 4-2
2020 LA Lakers   Miami 4-2
2019 Toronto     Warriors 4-2
2018 Warriors    Cleveland 4-0
2017 Warriors    Cleveland 4-1
2016 Cleveland   Warriors 4-3
2015 Warriors    Cleveland 4-2
2014 San Antonio Miami 4-1

Jayson Tatum
Celtics – part of NBA first team 2023



Source: NBA
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Pictures: Getty Images