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The defending NBA champion Thunder take on one of their biggest adversaries in the Western Conference, as Oklahoma City will raise a banner before facing Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on opening night.
Follow along below for live updates and analysis from before the opening tip through the final whistle.
The players pose with their rings as the championship banner is slowly raised into the rafters.
It's a joyous moment on the floor but Oklahoma City's title defense is about to begin …
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On the NBC broadcast, Jalen Williams noticed a camera in his face right before Shai Gilegeous-Alexander took the court amid “M-V-P” chants.
“No, you got the wrong person!” a horrified Williams exclaimed, motioning to where the reigning league MVP was about to enter from.
SGA addressing the crowd: "From when we were losing by 40 to winning by 40, you guys never wavered. For that we are forever grateful."
Fans started chanting MVP before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was even announced.
And of course, LOUD chants of MVP for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who seems quite impressed with his championship ring.
Jalen Williams will not suit up tonight, as he's still recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but he's welcomed to the floor with barks and cheers of admiration from the Oklahoma City faithful.
Nice pop for Chet Holmgren too and loud chants of "Louuuuu" for Lu Dort.
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver briefly addressed the Thunder organization and fans before the ring ceremony began:
💬 “The Thunder are more than just a basketball team to this community. They are a source of enormous pride and togetherness. … Congratulations on a championship that you will never forget.”
Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett and general manager Sam Presti receive their 2025 NBA championship rings before head coach Mark Daigneault and the rest of the roster are introduced. All three receive strong ovations.
All the Rockets went to the locker room for the Thunder's ring ceremony.
Silver's microphone is barely on – hard to hear in here.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka says he'll take his team back to the locker room during the Thunder's championship ring ceremony tonight.
Says his plan is to "Get some motivation for our own selves and try to ruin their night."
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OK folks …we are about ready for the Thunder ring and banner ceremony. Adam Silver is here on the court, directly in front of me, taking a picture with Mike Tirico. This is one of those occasions where the last game of one season and the first game of the next happen in the same building.
It occurs less than you think. Boston won its last title at home in 2022, and then the first game of the entire 2022-23 season was at TD Garden. The West winning most of these championships lately, and the clinching game coming on the road, are why this is rare.
It's sort of crazy to think about the NBA talent on this NBC pregame show. Jabari Smith Jr. was sitting there talking to Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady about his personal goals (Most Improved Player) and team goals (a championship). Mike Tirico was just chatting with Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller to preview the game. As a hoops head, it's going to take some adjusting to get used to seeing so many great players on a broadcast every night.
First impression of NBC’s NBA studio crew: Carmelo Anthony is an absolute natural at this. He and host Maria Taylor, who’s a consummate pro, seem to be by far the most comfortable ones on set. Impressive for Melo, who has a podcast but is making his debut as a full-time TV analyst.
Aside from the basketball itself, it will be worth monitoring what NBC has in store during tonight's coverage after regaining NBA media right following a 23-year hiatus.
With the NBA returning to NBC for the first time since 2002, the network is leaning hard into 1990s nostalgia to get fans excited. The teaser video below conjures some of the sport's biggest names from that decade, none bigger than Michael Jordan who will be appearing on NBC's broadcast during halftime of this game.
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The NBA’s regular season begins this week, and not a moment too soon. It’s finally time to see whether all those big offseason moves and promises of “internal development” justify teams’ high hopes.
Which team, if any, will challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference? Which franchise faces the most pressure to win this season? And which team is most likely to exceed expectations?
To answer those questions and others, The Athletic has assembled three of its writers: James L. Edwards III, who covers the New York Knicks; Nick Friedell, who covers the Golden State Warriors, and Josh Robbins, who covers the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and the league as a whole.
Season 2 of “Starting 5” debuted Thursday on Netflix, with the docuseries following NBA stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden through the 2024-25 NBA season.
Reactions to the latest set of eight episodes are already circulating on social media, and much of the dialogue centers on Durant and Harden’s transparency on the past.
Here are some of the most interesting moments from this look inside the lives of some of the biggest names in the league:
Whether your passion lies on the gridiron or the pitch, the diamond, hardwood or circuit, The Athletic has the perfect live coverage for you during another action-packed week.
The live coverage schedule this week includes a “Monday Night Football” doubleheader, exhilarating UEFA Champions League fixtures, NBA Opening Night, Games 1 and 2 of the 2025 World Series, El Clásico, the Mexico Formula 1 Grand Prix and more.
With each blog featuring the latest news, play-by-play, reactions, analysis and more, you won’t want to miss a moment of our extensive coverage.
