The 2026-27 NBA season tipped off on Oct. 20 with old faces in new places, including LeBron James entering his 24th season and his first with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“One thing I don’t like about LeBron is the way he chases championships by surrounding himself with so many All-Star players. I don’t like how ever since he left Cleveland the first time, he seems to just be hunting championships,” said Bill Yousman, professor in the School of Communications, Media & the Arts at Sacred Heart University.
James wasn’t the only star to join Philadelphia during the offseason. The Boston Celtics traded five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.
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“It’s crazy how the 76ers have Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, V.J. Edgecombe and LeBron James,” said senior Ryan Johnson.
Brown and Jayson Tatum had been the Celtics’ superstar duo, leading Boston to the 2024 NBA championship. Now playing for rival teams, the former teammates could add a new level to the Boston-Philadelphia rivalry.
“I think the Boston-Philly matchups are going to be very interesting, especially with all these undercurrents of what the relationship between Brown and Tatum is,” said Yousman. “Are they going to hug each other before the game, or are they going to fight during the game?”
Despite losing Brown, the Celtics acquired veteran Paul George from the 76ers.
“Paul George has been great,” said Yousman. “I was very skeptical of that trade at first because he is older and towards the end of his career, he’s been injured a lot, but he’s been excellent so far, and I’ve loved what he has brought to the team.”
The Miami Heat also made a major offseason move, acquiring 10-time All-Star and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I think it was a pretty bad choice; there were plenty of teams that needed a big man, and Miami wasn’t one of them as they already have a really good big man with Bam Adebayo,” said junior Roman Surena-Mattson.
The defending champion New York Knicks opened the season with three consecutive losses after winning the NBA Finals in June.
“Even though the Knicks started the year rough, we’re going to climb back and hopefully make that one or two seed,” said freshman Chris Brewer.
The 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, made headlines in his NBA debut after exchanging words with Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić.
According to ESPN tracking data, Dončić shot just 1-for-6 from the field with Lendeborg as his primary defender.
“Yaxel has been very good. I hope that he opens up the floor for Curry,” said Surena-Mattson.
“He was the 11th pick, but right now he is playing like he was the first or second pick,” said Yousman.
With the season underway, students are already predicting which teams could make deep playoff runs.
“I think the Pelicans have a chance to get pretty far,” said Surena-Mattson.
“I see Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Los Angeles in the West, and in the East, obviously, the Knicks, maybe Philly and Indiana are back up there with Haliburton returning,” said Brewer.
NBA games can be watched on national broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC and ESPN, streaming on platforms such as Peacock and Prime Video.
