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Will the Oklahoma City Thunder be the first back-to-back champs since the 2018 Golden State Warriors? Or will there be a resurgence of the ‘Bad Boys’ swag of the Detroit Pistons? Will the generational brilliance of Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio finally overpower the league? All three teams are young, talented and threatening to stay on top of the heap for the next decade or so. These and more as our favorite league witnesses a tectonic shift in power.
This Sunday, 15 Feb, get your beer and popcorn ready as the court ignites with a bold new format, with each squad chasing history and glory under the warm California night. Forget the team rivalries for once, as our favorite players regale us with dazzling dunks defying gravity, thundering 3-point shots from the moon and beyond, and the sizzling speed of comic-book superheroes. Don’t miss the 2026 NBA All-Star Games in LA, where the future of basketball erupts in one wild, wicked weekend.
This year, the Oklahoma City Thunder are overwhelming favorites to win another title. The Denver Nuggets, led by the 3-time MVP NIkola Jokic, will be crowding out the Thunder, for the western pennant. In the East, the Cleveland Cavs should finally win it, if they remain healthy for the playoffs. Victor Wenbamyama will continue maturing with the San Antonio Spurs, while rookie Cooper Flagg gets us excited. Move over, Lebron. Watch out, Steph and Kevin. The next generation stars are here!
The Lakers could not sustain their superior ball because fatigue caught up with their maxxed out starters. JJ relied heavily on his first 5, failing to optimize his rotation, opting not to make adjustments particularly late in games. Ultimately, this fatigue factor would also lead to defensive lapses, the breakdown in the offensive rhythm, and more critically, more exposure to possible injuries.
The NBA Cup is a mini-tournament held within the ongoing NBA season. It is on its 2nd iteration, after a very successful 1st edition last year which was eventually won by the Los Angeles Lakers over the Indiana Pacers. That pioneer edition, then called the NBA In-Season Tournament, has since been renamed into the Emirates NBA Cup, after its top sponsor.
Team USA may have annexed both the men’s and women’s 5×5 golds in Paris, but it doesn’t have a lock on the same next Olympics. Although there will be a huge advantage with the homecrowd in Los Angeles in 2028, the reality is that the world has been catching up on the US side.
Color My World 