Starting 5: A historic banner night & a never-before-seen NBA moment

To tip off the 2024-25 season, the reigning champs raised a record 18th title banner to the TD Garden rafters.
Then, a record number of 3s came raining down.

THE LINEUP 🏀
Oct. 23, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?
Historic Opening Night: C’s tie single-game 3-point record, LeBron & Bronny take the floor together
Boston 3 Party: On banner night, Jayson Tatum set the tone for Boston’s title defense
An Opening W: The Lakers win their season opener for the first time since 2016
Wednesday Doubleheader: A Sixers-Bucks showdown and the Clips’ housewarming party
LP Lineup: Two must-see debuts headline eight games tonight on NBA League Pass
BUT FIRST … ⏰
We’re just getting started…

Twenty teams will make their regular-season debut tonight with 10 games tipping off. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks open up ESPN’s doubleheader against Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers (7:30 ET) before James Harden and the Clippers host Kevin Durant and the Suns at the Intuit Dome (10 ET).
1. A DOUBLEHEADER TO REMEMBER: HISTORY MADE TWICE

In an opening night for the ages, the 2024-25 season tipped off with two historic moments that electrified the basketball world.
First, the defending champion Celtics celebrated ring night
The historic night began with a historic 1st quarter as Boston became the first-ever NBA team to hit 10 3s in the opening frame of their first game of the season. They went on to pour in 74 1st-half points — the sixth-most in an opening game in NBA history.
By night’s end, they had tied the 2020-21 Bucks’ record (set on Dec. 29, 2020) for the most triples in a single game and written even more history while adding another chapter to the TD Garden rafters
Opening Night Record: Boston’s 29 made 3s shattered the

Midway through the 2nd quarter of the Lakers’ season opener, LeBron James went to the bench and sat next to his son, Bronny. History was drawing near, and the father had some final words of advice for the son.
LeBron: “You about ready?”
Bronny: “Mm-hmm.”
LeBron: “You see the intensity right? Just play carefree though. Don’t worry about mistakes. Just go out and play hard.”
LeBron and Bronny walked to the scorers’ table together with four minutes left in the 1st half, checking into the game side-by-side to make history as the first father-son duo to ever play in an NBA game.
They shared the court for two minutes and 41 seconds, which included a drive-and-kick from LeBron to Bronny for a 3-point attempt that had the Crypto.com Arena crowd on its feet, but Bronny’s triple just rimmed out.
The father-son combo will have plenty of opportunities to make plays for one another over the course of the season. But the “first moment” of them sharing the court in an NBA game is now etched in the history books.
LeBron: “It’s always been family over everything.
For me, I lost a lot of time committing to this league, being on
the road at times, missing his things, Bryce’s things, Zuri’s
things.

Moments after receiving his 2024 championship ring, Jayson Tatum stepped forward with a message for the TD Garden crowd:
“Let’s do it again.“
Minutes into the Celtics’ title defense, he was already leading the charge.
Ignited by Tatum, who erupted for 37 points, 10 dimes, four boards and eight 3s, the Celtics rode their record-setting performance from deep to build a 74-55 lead at the half and didn’t look back, to beat Jalen Brunson (22 pts, 9-14 FG, 2 ast) and the Knicks, 132-109 | Recap
1st-Quarter Fire: Tatum hit four of the C’s 10 1st-quarter

Each of Boston’s five starters buried at least three triples in Tatum, Derrick White (24 pts, 6-10 3P), Jaylen Brown (23 pts, 5-9 3P), Jrue Holiday (18 pts, 4-6 3P) and Al Horford (11 pts, 3-5 3P), and although New York (55.1%) outshot the C’s (50.5%) from the field, Boston was simply too hot from downtown.
New York’s New Stars: Karl-Anthony Towns (12 pts, 7 reb, 3

For the sixth straight season, the Lakers were part of the NBA’s Opening Night.
And for the first time in that run, they came away with a win, defeating the Timberwolves 110-103 in a game that saw a piece of NBA history for the James family, the head coaching debut of JJ Redick and a monster game from Anthony Davis. | Recap
AD Dominates: Davis (36 pts, 16 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk

Ant-Man Not Enough: Anthony Edwards (27 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 5
3s)
led the way as the Wolves trimmed a 19-point deficit down to
four early in the 4th quarter before the Lakers closed the door
New Wolves: Randle (16 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast) and Donte DiVincenzo
4. WHAT TO WATCH: BEASTS IN THE EAST & INTUIT DOME PREMIERE

The hoops are just heating up.
The second night of regular-season action brings a can’t-miss doubleheader on ESPN, beginning with an Eastern Conference clash between two contenders before the new-look Clips face the star-studded Suns in their new home.
Bucks at 76ers (7:30 ET, ESPN): In Game 1 of Year 2 together, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will lead the Bucks against Tyrese Maxey and the revamped Sixers, with both teams hungry to bounce back from a first-round Playoff exit in 2023-24.
Star Sixers Out: After signing with the Sixers this summer in

Suns at Clippers (10 ET, ESPN): Can James Harden and the rebranded Clippers celebrate their first regular-season game at the Intuit Dome with a win against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and the Suns?
Home Premiere: After sharing the Staples Center/Crypto.com
5. LEAGUE PASS LINEUP: TOP PICK’S DEBUT & JA’S RETURN

Two of the most highly anticipated debuts of the season take place tonight on NBA League Pass in an eight-game slate featuring the first pick’s first NBA game and Ja Morant’s long-awaited return.
Nets at Hawks (7:30 ET, League Pass): On Day 2 of the season, this year’s No. 1 overall pick and19-year-old wing, Zaccharie Risacher, will make his NBA debut for Atlanta in front of its home crowd.
Top Pick Promise: Risacher was Atlanta’s second-leading

Grizzlies at Jazz (9 ET, League Pass): In his first regular-season action since going down with a shoulder injury on Jan. 5, Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant will make his return against Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz.
Ja’s Impact: Before his 2023-24 season was cut short, Morant

The action rolls on throughout the night, including an in-state rivalry between the Magic and Heat (7:30 ET) before closing with Steph Curry and the Warriors’ season debut in Portland (10 ET).
Pacers at Pistons (7 ET, League Pass)
Cavaliers at Raptors (7:30 ET, League Pass)