Christmas may be months away, but we already know we’re getting the top present on our list: a supercharged slate of NBA action. 🎄

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Craig Ehlo, Kyle Guy, Kevin Knox, and Patty Mills! 🎉

Around the Association

NBA releases Opening Night, Christmas Day schedules

There may be a few months between us and the return of NBA hoops, but it’s never too early to start looking forward to next season.

The NBA made that a lot easier over the weekend, releasing the matchups for the first night of the regular season and Christmas Day:

Opening Night 🌟

• Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder

• Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers

Christmas Day 🎁

• Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

• San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder

• Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers

• Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors

• Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

There’s a lot to Enjoy about these games, so let’s just hit on some of our favorite storylines:

• Kevin Durant making his Rockets debut while watching his former team hang its first banner

• Cavs at Knicks in a battle of East title favorites

• Wemby vs. SGA and the defending champs

• Rookie Cooper Flagg balling on the biggest stage

• A rematch of Minny and Denver’s electric 2024 playoff series

And that’s just seven of the 1,230 games this season! We can’t wait. 🤩

Celtics sign Joe Mazzulla to multiyear extension

The NBA’s most unique coach may soon become one of its longest-tenured.

Over the weekend, Boston agreed to a new contract extension with head coach Joe Mazzulla, tying him to BeanTown for the foreseeable future. While the exact length and compensation details weren’t released, it’s great to see the 2024 champion sticking around.

Mazzulla, who just wrapped up his third season at the helm of the C’s, thanked his players and the front office and said he’s “[looking] forward to competing for the Celtics and the city of Boston.” And while that statement does show how much he loves the organization, it’s far from his most memorable quote.

Congrats to Coach Joe!

Pick A Side

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Pick A Side, where we bring you the biggest debates in basketball and you choose which side you fall on.

Today, it’s a matchup for the students of the game. Who is the greatest coach in the modern era: Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich? Let’s break down the matchup.

The case for Jackson: The so-called Zen Master has had his fingerprints all over some of the NBA’s most legendary dynasties. From the ‘90s Bulls with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman, to the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and later Pau Gasol, Jackson was a master of managing egos. With his patented Triangle offense and ability to mesh stars together, it’s impossible to deny his legacy as one of the league’s most influential coaches.

Case in point? There have been six total three-peats in NBA history. Three of them were under Phil Jackson.

The case for Popovich: The recently retired all-time leader in coaching wins was a model of consistency throughout his time on the sideline. Leading San Antonio to five titles and a run of 22 straight postseason appearances, the Spurs became their own sort of “life guarantee”.

You could count on a disciplined approach, tenacious defense, and an attack that passed up good shots for great shots with every Popovich-led Spurs team. With the league’s all-time winningest big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, plus other legendary players like David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard, Coach Pop ran arguably the best organization in professional sports during his tenure.

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a portion of your day with us. This week, try to find time to give yourself a breather when you need it. It’s easy to keep pushing along no matter what, but rest can help you come back even stronger! See you soon.

Walker Carnathan