With the return of basketball, fans are ecstatic and new stars are beginning to emerge. What began as a doubleheader game on Tuesday, October 18th ended in absolute thrill, with both games proving to be incredibly entertaining. 

According to Sports Media Watch, the games averaged nearly 3.3 million viewers on TNT, which was up 17% from last year and was the highest average since 2017. Not only are fans excited about the return of basketball as a whole, but they’re watching their favorite players with a microscopic lens. 

In a battle between two historically great teams, Stephen Curry’s Warriors came out on top against a distinguished Lakers team, featuring one of the greatest players of all time: LeBron James. 

James posted an incredibly impressive 31 points in 36 minutes, but that proved to not be enough for Curry’s offensive power. Stephen Curry dropped 33 points in 33 minutes, equating to him scoring 48 points had he played the whole game. However, Stephen Curry was not the only contributor. 

Andrew Wiggins, another star for the Warriors, contributed with 20 points on over 50% shooting. Although this game was a blowout, it proved to be an exhilarating start to the 2022-2023 NBA season. In addition to these veterans, some stars are reemerging. 

Zion Williamson, a former high school basketball phenom, finally returned after a year-long injury. Zion was every bit of his former self, scoring 25 points against some of the most seasoned veterans in the league. 

Zion’s teammates also pitched in, helping his Pelicans win by a large margin of 22 points. However, it’s not just old or reemerging stars that are taking the league by storm. Many rookies are making an immediate impact on their teams, and are projected to make hundreds of millions of dollars during their tenure in the NBA. 

The first overall pick, Paolo Banchero, came out on fire Wednesday night for the Orlando Magic, as he contributed with 27 points in less than 35 minutes. On top of having the rookie Banchero, the Magic also feature many young and talented players who are former first-round picks. Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner both added more than 20 points to the stat sheet, demonstrating that they are also forces to be reckoned with. 

On the other side of the scoreboard, Jalen Duren, a 2022 first-round pick, proved to be too much for the Magic, as his defensive capabilities kept many of the Magic’s players in check. This battle of young stars ended with the Pistons coming out on top but showed millions of onlookers why there is so much to be excited about in the years to come. 

The season is officially here, and the championship race has already begun.