There are 1,230 games across 169 days in the NBA regular season - but the biggest draw of them all could come on day one. One of the greatest players in the sport's history in LeBron James will make his 76ers debut alongside a plethora of other superstars in a new-look Philadelphia side that visit the title holders - New York Knicks - at Madison Square Garden, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 11pm on Tuesday. It doesn't get any bigger than this to begin a new season.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Much of the off-season discussion has centred around James' move to the east coast and the threat his Sixers side could pose to existing title contenders. That is talk that a stacked Knicks team will be hoping to prove is cheap at the very first opportunity in front of what is set to be a raucous New York crowd, with the home side set to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy in front of their fans pre-match after winning their first championship in 53 years. So - is Philadelphia's drastic off-season rebuild actually enough to give them true title credentials?
Or are the Knicks still in pole position to retain the NBA championship? We assess the state of play in the Eastern Conference heading into the blockbuster match that opens the new NBA season... The optimism in Philadelphia in May was palpable after Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers to a famous game seven victory on the road against the second seed Boston Celtics.
They secured a remarkable 4-3 first-round win after coming from 3-1 down, their first post-season series win against their fierce rivals since 1982. Their joy was short-lived. The eventual champion Knicks made quick work of the Sixers, winning four out of four to secure the series sweep and condemn them to yet another second-round exit - a stage of the playoffs they have not been able to progress past in seven attempts since 2001.
That record is what James' side will be hoping to change. His addition gives the Sixers a formidable starting five featuring all-star point guard Tyrese Maxey, promising second-year wing VJ Edgecombe, and another headline addition in the NBA's leading scorer Jaylen Brown, who arrives after a blockbuster summer trade that saw the Sixers give up Paul George and draft picks in return. The frontcourt of superstars James and Joel Embiid boasts an incredible level of NBA acumen, with five NBA MVP awards between them.
"I didn't leave my family [in Los Angeles] to lose in the second round," James said on the Sixers' pre-season media day. Work needs to be done, and I'm ready to get to work." The key to their success will be whether head coach Nick Nurse can find a sense of balance in a starting five that features four players averaging over 20 points a night. A 42-year-old James has already embraced the change from scorer to facilitator in his older years.
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