2024-25 NBA season set to tip off with Celtics hosting Knicks

By Fatih Erel

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 79th NBA season will begin on Wednesday as defending champions, the Boston Celtics, host the New York Knicks in the season opener.

The Celtics will look to stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who were instrumental in last season’s championship run, to lead the team once again.

In another matchup on the opening day, the Los Angeles Lakers will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at home.

The NBA regular season will conclude on April 13, 2025. The final four playoff spots in each conference will be decided through the play-in tournament, featuring teams that finish 7th to 10th in the standings. These play-in games are scheduled for April 15-18, 2025, with the playoffs starting on April 19. The NBA Finals will tip off on June 5, 2025.

The NBA All-Star weekend will take place in San Francisco from February 14-16, 2025.

- Turkish players in the spotlight: Bona makes debut, Sengun signs extension

Turkish center Alperen Sengun has signed a five-year, $185-million contract extension with the Houston Rockets, the team announced Tuesday. The 22-year-old is expected to play a major role for the Rockets in the upcoming season.

Following the departure of Turkish players Cedi Osman, Furkan Korkmaz, Omer Faruk Yurtseven, and Onuralp Bitim from the NBA, a new Turkish talent is set to debut. Adem Bona, a 21-year-old center, was drafted 41st overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA Draft out of UCLA.

- LeBron James eyes more records, Durant aims for 30,000 points

LeBron James, the first NBA player to surpass 40,000 career points, will aim to further extend his scoring record. James, a 20-time NBA All-Star, currently sits at the top of the all-time scoring list with 40,474 points.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant is nearing a significant milestone. Durant, with 28,924 career points, will look to surpass the 30,000-point mark this season. The 36-year-old also has his sights set on moving up the all-time scoring list, with Wilt Chamberlain's 31,419 points within reach.

Only six players in NBA history have scored more than 30,000 points, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), and Dirk Nowitzki (31,560).

*Writing by Selçuk Buğra Gökalp