Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks say they’re starting from scratch as they aim for an elusive NBA championship repeat with the San Antonio Spurs spearheading a host of rivals as the 2026 season tips off on Tuesday. “We just have to find a way to turn the page and move on,” NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Brunson said as the Knicks began their preparations in September three months after ending the storied franchise’s 53-year title drought with an epic defeat of San Antonio.
The Knicks return their starting five, but a sour note has already been sounded in the pre-season as star center Karl-Anthony Towns said he was “extremely disappointed” by the Knicks’ public announcement that they were pausing contract extension talks with him and Josh Hart. Additionally, no team has won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors in 2018, and Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs are just one of the clubs tipped to keep it that way. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are eager to reassert themselves after the Spurs ended their title repeat bid in the Western Conference finals.
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Closer to home in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks will contend with a retooled Philadelphia 76ers squad now featuring all-time leading scorer LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, who earned Finals MVP honors with the Boston Celtics in 2024. Four-time champion James, still a force at 41, agreed to slash his salary in his quest for a fifth ring. Along with Brown, he’ll team with former MVP big man Joel Embiid, All-NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey, and 21-year-old phenom VJ Edgecombe. The 76ers will be out to make an early statement when they take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, part of a three-game opening day slate.
The Miami Heat have also added star power in the shape of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo, who led Milwaukee to the crown in 2021, arrived from the Bucks in a blockbuster trade and could form a lethal partnership with Bam Adebayo — who poured in 83 points in one game last season. But nowhere are the expectations higher than in San Antonio. The Knicks were still celebrating their Finals victory when Wembanyama started counting the days to the 2027 championship series. San Antonio used the disappointment of their 2013 Finals loss to Miami to fuel their run to the 2014 title, and Wembanyama says the current Spurs squad is determined to bounce back in the same way.
“We’re fighting for the top spot of the mountain,” says the towering French center, who reached his first NBA Finals in only his third season. At just 22, Wembanyama is a bona fide star. He was the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. An abundance of other talented players at coach Mitch Johnson’s disposal includes Dylan Harper, who emerged as a consistent threat at the rim in the playoffs after being limited by injuries in the regular season. The annual pre-season survey of league general managers saw the Spurs tipped to take it all.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder expect to have something to say about that. Oklahoma City took the Spurs to seven games in last season’s Western Conference finals despite the injury struggles of key offensive contributors Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell during the series. With Williams and Mitchell healthy, the Thunder are poised to maintain their offensive efficiency while All-Star big man Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein return to anchor the league’s best defense.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, who reached the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, are counting on the arrival of LaMelo Ball to team with Anthony Edwards to ramp up their challenge to the Spurs and Thunder. In Los Angeles, Slovenian star Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves spearhead the new-look Lakers, aiming to forge a new identity after the departure of James in free agency.
© 2024 AFP
