Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Twenty years to the day after LeBron James made his NBA debut against the Kings, he and the Lakers went into OT with Sacramento on Sunday. | NBAE via Getty Images

On the 20th anniversary of his 1st NBA game, LeBron James was back in the city where his career began – in Sacramento for a King vs. Kings matchup.

History repeated itself Sunday as LeBron played a fantastic game – 27 points (including the bucket to force OT), 15 rebounds and 8 assists – but his team took a loss, as the Kings outlasted the Lakers, 132-127
Sacramento played overtime without De’Aaron Fox (sprained ankle in 4th quarter) and Domantas Sabonis (fouled out in 4th quarter). Malik Monk scored 11 of his 22 points in OT to lead the Kings to the W
Fox finished with 37 points and 8 dimes while Sabonis had his 3rd double-double (12 points, 15 boards) in as many games
Youngest to Oldest: In his debut game 20 years ago, LeBron became (and remains) the youngest player in NBA history with a 25+ point, 5+ rebound and 5+ assist game. On Sunday, he became the oldest player with a 25+ point, 15+ rebound, 5+ assist game
Deja Vu: 20 years ago, LeBron’s 1st NBA basket was a jumper in Sacramento to make the score 7-6. On Sunday, his 1st basket was a jumper in Sacramento to make the score 7-6

EMBIID’S HISTORIC NIGHT POWERS PHILLY TO A W 🔔

All smiles (and pure domination) from the reigning MVP. | NBAE via Getty Images

Joel Embiid was historically good on Sunday, posting 35 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 blocks to lead the Sixers to a 126-98 win over Portland in their home opener.

1 of 4 Sixers: Since blocks have been tracked (1973-74), Embiid now has the most games with 30+ PTS, 10+ REB, 5+ AST and 5+ BLK in Sixers history, passing Charles Barkley (2); the only Sixers with such a game are Dr. J and Derrick Coleman
1 of 4 Ever: Embiid became just the 4th player in NBA history with multiple games with at least 35+ PTS, 15+ REB, 5+ AST and 5+ BLK, joining Kareem (7), Shaq (3) and Hakeem Olajuwon (2)

More highlights from around the league on Sunday:

🌉 Warriors 106, Rockets 95: Steph Curry (24 points, 6 3s, including 4 straight in the 4th quarter, the last one leading to this epic reaction) and Klay Thompson (19 points, 5 3s to reach top 10 all-time) as the Splash Bros combined for 43 points and 11 3s
CP3 Streak Ends: Chris Paul came off the bench for the 1st time in his NBA career, ending a streak of 1,216 consecutive starts – the longest regular season streak to begin a career since starts have been tracked (1970-71). Kevin Durant (866) now has the longest active streak, followed by Damian Lillard (770) and Kyrie Irving (673)

Now No. 10 in all-time 3s made: Klay Thompson. | NBAE via Getty Images

⚒️ Nuggets 128, Thunder 95: Denver improved to 3-0 with a 33-point win behind Nikola Jokic’s efficient 28 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. Jamal Murray added 19 points and 8 dimes, including one to Jokic for the lefty finish at the buzzer.

More: Check out Michael C. Wright’s 5 takeaways from OKC

🅰️ Hawks 127, Bucks 110: Trae Young posted his 2nd straight double-double to lead the Hawks to their 1st win. 3 of his 20 points came on this logo triple, while he added 11 assists. Giannis scored a game-high 26 in the loss
⛵ Clippers 123, Spurs 83: Kawhi Leonard (21 points, 4 assists) led 7 Clippers in double figures in their 40-point win. Paul George and Russell Westbrook each added 19 points, while Victor Wembanyama added to his highlight reel – check out the reverse tap-in and inbounds pass interception
More: Check out Shaun Powell’s 5 takeaways from LA

MONDAY: 11 GAMES & CRUNCHTIME’S RETURN 🏀💨

Two highlight machines meet in ATL. | NBAE via Getty Images

On 11-game nights, it’s not always easy to know where to look.

We got you.

NBA CrunchTime makes its 2023-24 debut in the NBA App tonight – available for fans in the US and Canada. (Fans outside the US & Canada can get all games on League Pass)

Hosted by Jared Greenberg, CrunchTime zaps you to the final minutes of games around the league LIVE. All night long. It’s like having a friend flip channels for ya.

Tap for what else to expect from CrunchTime, and keep reading for what’s coming:

📲Celtics at Wizards, 7 ET, NBA App: The C’s are out for a 3-0 start, as Kristaps Porzingis takes on his old squad.

📲 Bulls-Pacers, 7 ET, NBA App: Indy’s putting up a league-best 134 ppg so far. Ok, it’s only 2 games, but that’s still a lot. Can they jump to 3-0 against Zach LaVine (51 pts last game) and their rivals?

📲Nets-Hornets, 7 ET, NBA App: Cam Thomas is averaging 33 pts a night, but BK’s still in search of its first win. LaMelo Ball (17.5 ppg, 9.5 apg, 7.5 rpg) and the Hornets have other ideas.

📲Blazers-Raptors, 7:30 ET, NBA App: Catch No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson in action, against a Raptors squad where 2022 ROTY Scottie Barnes is looking to make a leap.

📲T-Wolves-Hawks, 7:30 ET, NBA App: Ant Edwards. Trae Young. Get your 🍿ready.

Rivalry renewed on Monday. | NBAE via Getty Images

📲Pistons-Thunder, 8 ET, NBA App: Two teams NBA GMs expect to have breakout seasons. Two teams bursting with young talent.

📺Warriors-Pelicans, 8 ET, NBA TV: Undefeated so far, Zion, Brandon Ingram and the Pelicans meet up with Steph, Klay, Dray, CP3 and the Dubs.

📲 Heat at Bucks, 8 ET, NBA App: And just like that, a first-round matchup is back again. With Damian Lillard now in town, can the Bucks strike back after the 8th-seeded Heat ended Milwaukee’s season early?

📲Mavs-Grizzlies, 8 ET, NBA App: Luka brought the magic last time out, and took over in Game 1. What’s he got in store tonight?

📲Jazz-Nuggets, 9 ET, NBA App: The champs are undefeated to start the season. Can they stay that way against a talented Jazz team?

📺 Magic-Lakers, 10:30 ET, NBA TV: Paolo Banchero’s getting a ton of buzz. The Lakers are too. Can Orlando stay undefeated, or will LA protect home court?

KIA MVP LADDER: 15 TO WATCH 🏆

Can Jokic (or Giannis) become part of the exclusive 3-MVP club? | NBAE via Getty Images

Every Friday throughout the season, Michael C. Wright will update the Kia MVP Ladder, tracking the race for the NBA’s top individual honor.

Before the rankings debut later this week, here’s a look at the 15 players on Wright’s watch list after a few days of games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: The 2-time MVP has a new coach, a new superstar PG and a new contract. Can he become the 9th player to win 3+ MVPs?

Devin Booker: After an impressive showing in Phoenix’s season opener (32 points, 8 assists), Booker has missed the past 2 games with a foot injury

Stephen Curry: The 2-time MVP is still at the top of his game at age 35. Case in point: the 41 points he dropped on the Kings on Friday

Anthony Davis: For AD to win his 1st MVP he must fulfill LeBron’s media proclamation that he’s the face of the Lakers, and stay healthy to meet the new minimum games requirement

Luka Doncic: Luka has been a perennial MVP candidate, finishing between 4th and 8th in the voting each of the past 4 seasons. Is season 6 the breakthrough?

Kevin Durant: KD earned his 1st MVP in OKC, 2 Finals MVPs in Golden State and now seeks some hardware in his 1st full season Phoenix

Durant & Booker both find themselves on Michael C. Wright’s MVP watchlist to start the season. | NBAE via Getty Images

Anthony Edwards: The near-universal pick for a breakout season, can Edwards make the leap from All-Star in 2023 to MVP in 2024?

Joel Embiid: After back-to-back runner-ups, Embiid earned his first MVP in 2023. Can he hold the title against this field and become the 3rd straight back-to-back winner?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Last season, SGA earned his 1st All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection while finishing 5th MVP voting. Is another jump coming?

LeBron James: LeBron has been an MVP candidate for 2 decades. Can he join Kareem, Russell and Jordan as the only players with 5+ MVPs?

Nikola Jokic: The Joker missed the MVP 3-peat last season, finishing as the runner up, but added Finals MVP instead. Can he earn his 3rd Kia MVP in 4 seasons?

Damian Lillard: Dame’s posted career-best numbers in his final season in Portland. He then dropped 39 points and delivered in the clutch – 2 MVP qualities – in his Bucks debut

Donovan Mitchell: Mitchell earned his 1st MVP votes ever in his 1st season in Cleveland. He started his 2nd season with a game-winning jumper

Domantas Sabonis: Sabonis led the NBA in double-doubles and finished 7th in MVP voting in his 1st full season in Sacramento. What will he do for a follow up?

Jayson Tatum: The past 2 seasons, Tatum has made All-NBA First Team and finished 6th and 4th, respectively, in MVP voting. Can he become the 1st Celtics MVP since Larry Bird in 1986?

WEEK 1 ROOK LOOKS 👕

Which rookies showed out on the way into the game this week? | NBAE via Getty Images

Just like Paris, London, the streets of Soho or the Hollywood red carpet, the NBA tunnel walk has become one of the world’s most influential fashion scenes.

While we all eagerly awaited the on-court debuts for this year’s rookie class, (just in case you didn’t know this class is shaping up to be special) they had to first showcase their fits as they arrived for their first games.

Let’s shout out some standouts.

Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs No. 1 overall pick had one of the most anticipated debuts in NBA history. To fit the moment, Wemby went with a Morpheus-esque look, donning a black jacket with black pants and black sunglasses to finish. Strictly business.

Scoot Henderson

Henderson arrived at the arena paying homage to Allen Iverson – one of the figures who revolutionized style in sports, intertwining hip-hop culture and basketball. Henderson did his homework and passed his first test.

Chet Holmgren

When Chet Holmgren is not blocking everything that moves, he is putting together some great fits. On a team full of guys who can own the runway during Fashion Week, you can see the SGA influence already rubbing off on the OKC rookie.

Dereck Lively II

Dereck Lively II had quite a… lively .. debut helping the Mavs defeat Wemby and the Spurs. The Dallas center showcased his style wearing a purple long sleeve with floral pants.

A random thought: How much combined fabric do you think designers use for Wemby, Chet and Lively?