The anticipation is over. It’s opening week for the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers step onto the court at 7:30 p.m. PT to face the Houston Rockets and begin their long journey ahead. Preseason was a window into what we can expect, but the doors are about to be blown off. The NBA is back, baby.
Every year there’s a guiding narrative to follow. Last year quickly turned from following what is probably Kobe Bryant’s final year into what was definitely the end of the line for the Mamba. It was the end of an era, and the team managed to close that chapter with a storybook ending.