Nikola Jokic did Jokic things … and even some stuff we don’t see too often.

The champs opened with a W. The Dubs had a vintage 3rd quarter, but the Suns rallied back.

And just like that, we’re underway.

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THE LINEUP

• Jokic gets ring, triple-double, win
• Season opens for 24 teams
• The Wembanyama minute ⏱️
• Rookie Ladder: Race is on
• Homecoming: Key returns to watch

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“He’s completely gotten over himself. He’s been lauded for a long time. This attention just didn’t happen to him. … He realizes that it is all a fantasy. What matters is him becoming the best player that he can be.”

 Gregg Popovich on Wemby
Wemby debut: 9:30 ET, ESPN

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1. A RING AND A ‘W’ FOR JOKIC, NUGGETS

Nikola Jokic is not one to share his emotions freely. Most nights he goes to work, puts up numbers, gets a win and calls it a night.

Tuesday was different. In the pre-game ring and banner ceremony, the smile on Jokic’s face could be seen from a mile high and miles wide. Celebrating the ultimate team accomplishment brought a level of joy that we rarely get a chance to see.

• Jokic: “I think it’s amazing to see how many lives we impact just playing basketball.”
• Watch Jokic receive his first-ever NBA championship ring … and watch him give a wink as he shows it off to the camera … and take a closer look at the bling
• Once the rings were distributed it was time to raise a banner 47 years in the making

After the emotions of the pre-game ceremony settled, it turned into another night at the office for Denver employee No. 15.

• Jokic opened the season with his a triple-double (29 PTS, 13 REB, 11 AST) as the Nuggets beat the Lakers 119-107
• Jokic is the 12th player (and 2nd Nugget, joining Fat Lever in 1987) to record a triple-double on Opening Night of the NBA season
• With 106 career triple-doubles, Jokic sits just 1 behind LeBron James and Jason Kidd for 4th on the all-time list
• Jamal Murray (21) and KCP (20) combined for 41 points, while LeBron James opened season 21 with 21 points to lead L.A

Suns Spoil CP3’s Warriors Debut

Devin Booker posted the 1st 30-point game of the 2023-24 NBA season as he finished with 32 points and 8 dimes in Phoenix’s 108-104 win over Golden State. At 1-0, the dream of 82-0 is still alive, according to Kevin Durant

• Booker Dimes: Down the stretch, it was Booker’s playmaking rather than his scoring that made the difference as he assisted on Phoenix’s final 3 baskets
• Durant had a 4-point play on his way to a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) after receiving a pre-game tribute from the Warriors (see Section 5 ⬇️)
• CP3’s Debut: Chris Paul’s 1st bucket as a Warrior came in the 3rd quarter as he finished with 14 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds
• Big 3rd Not Enough: Trailing by 15 at the half, the Warriors had one of their trademark 3rd quarters, outscoring the Suns 40-19

1. ONE NIGHT, 24 SEASON OPENERS

Last night was technically opening night.

But tonight? Tonight blows things open, with 24 teams tipping off their seasons … and No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama set to make his debut.

Celtics at Knicks 7 ET, ESPN

• Rivalry: The Celtics and Knicks face off for the 490th time, the most between 2 teams in NBA history
• Playoffs: Both teams have expectations for a deep playoff run after their seasons were ended by the Heat: NY in the East Semis (4-2), Boston in the East Finals (4-3)
• Roster Moves: Boston added Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, while New York added Donte DiVincenzo (reuniting him with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart)
• Stat to Watch: Last season, Boston ranked 2nd in 3-pointers made (16 per game), while NY allowed the 4th-most 3-pointers (13). Boston went 52-16 when making 12+ 3s in a game

Mavs at Spurs 9:30 ET, ESPN

• Wemby & Luka: One international phenom (Luka Doncic) welcomes another (Victor Wembanyama, see Section 3 ) as the No.1 pick makes his regular season debut
• A New Era: After going just 5-11 together last season, a full season of the Luka-Kyrie backcourt begins in Dallas as the Mavs look to return to the postseason
• Luka Magic: Can Doncic repeat last season’s blazing start (30+ points in 1st 9 games put him in Wilt territory)?
• No Stop for Pop: Already a Hall of Famer, Gregg Popovich is ready for a new challenge, leading the Spurs into a new era. Is Wemby the key to ring No. 6?

10 games on the NBA App (7-day free trial available)

• Rockets at Magic (7 ET): Houston’s rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore make their debuts against reigning ROY Paolo Banchero in Orlando
• Wizards at Pacers (7 ET): Jordan Poole makes his Wizards debut after dropping a 41-point preseason game
• Hawks at Hornets (7 ET): Don’t miss the Trae Young vs. LaMelo Ball matchup in Charlotte
• Timberwolves at Raptors (7:30 ET): AntMan headlines as two teams that went undefeated in preseason square off in The North
• Pistons at Heat (7:30 ET): The defending East champion Heat host Cade Cunningham and the Pistons

• Cavaliers at Nets (7:30 ET): Season 2 of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland begins against Mikal Bridges and the Nets in Brooklyn
• Pelicans at Grizzlies (8 ET): Zion Williamson is back! Plus we get to see the Grizz debuts of Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose
• Thunder at Bulls (8 ET): 2022 No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren begins his NBA career after missing all of last season due to injury
• Kings at Jazz (9 ET): Can the Kings keep the good vibes from last season rolling against an intriguing, new-look Jazz squad?
• Blazers at Clippers (10:30 ET): Cap off the night with Scoot Henderson and the new-look Blazers against Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers

1. CATCH UP ON WEMBY IN 1:00 ⏱

▶️ Inside Wemby’s Journey with ‘NBA Rooks’

The buzz began last October, when Victor Wembanyama (37 PTS, 7 3s) and Scoot Henderson (28 PTS, 9 AST) put on a show as the 2 future top 3 picks dueled in Las Vegas.

It grew as highlights of Wembanyama’s play with his French squad (Mets 92) went viral. When the NBA Draft arrived, there was no surprise with San Antonio’s pick at No. 1.

A brief Summer League run gave us a 1st look at Wembanyama in Spurs silver and black.

The final step in the preparation was preseason, and Wembanyama did not disappoint, unleashing at least one “We’ve never seen that before” moment in each of his 4 games:

• Pump fake at the 3-point line, drive into the lane, spin move into and up-and-under scoop shot
• Bringing the ball up and running a give-and-go for an alley-oop dunk
• Just a 7-foot-4 point guard pulling off the nutmeg dribble in transition
• Swatting shots away from all over the court (2.8 blocks per game)

All of that was prelude to what happens tonight: Mavericks at Spurs. 9:30 ET. ESPN. 

While this is just Game 1 for Wembanyama, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sees a maturity, intellect and character about the 19-year-old that equates to a very high ceiling:  “When a player has character he’s going to grow. And if he has talent, he’s going to become great.”

Eras in the NBA are often tied to superstar players: the Magic and Bird era gave way to the Jordan era, next up was Shaq and Kobe, then LeBron and Curry. Is the Wemby era next?

Want More Wemby?: We’ve been with Wembanyama for his full NBA journey as a part of this season’s premiere of NBA Rooks

1. ROOKIE LADDER: 15 ROOKS TO WATCH

The race for the Kia Rookie of the Year gets underway tonight as the top 5 picks from this year’s draft all make their NBA debuts. 

Every Wednesday, Steve Aschburner will rank the top rookies and see who will take home the hardware this spring.

Here are the 15 rookies on Aschburner’s watch list as the season tips off (presented in draft order):

• Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
• Chet Holmgren (Thunder)
• Brandon Miller (Hornets)
• Scoot Henderson (Blazers)
• Amen Thompson (Rockets)
• Ausar Thompson (Pistons)
• Anthony Black (Magic)
• Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
• Jarace Walker (Pacers)
• Taylor Hendricks (Jazz)
• Cason Wallace (Thunder)
• Jett Howard (Magic)
• Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
• Gradey Dick (Raptors)
• Jordan Hawkins (Pelicans)

1. WELCOME BACK

In Tuesday’s season opener, Kevin Durant returned to the Bay for the 1st time in front of fans since he left Golden State in 2019.

The Warriors honored KD and his accomplishments – 2 titles, 2 Finals MVPs – with a tribute video during player introductions and a rousing ovation from the Chase Center crowd.

After dapping up some former teammates it was time to hoop and Durant finished with 18 points and 10 boards in the Suns win.

With over 100 players changing teams this offseason, there will be plenty of return games over the course of the season. Here are 10 to circle on the calendar, in chronological order.

• Gabe Vincent, L.A.Lakers at Miami, Mon, Nov 6, 7:30 ET, NBA TV: Vincent spent his 1st four seasons in Miami, helping the Heat make two NBA Finals appearances

• Deandre Ayton, Portland at Phoenix, Tue, Nov 21, 9 ET, League Pass: Ayton spent his 1st five seasons in Phoenix and started on the Suns’ 2021 Finals team

• Chris Paul, Golden State at Phoenix, Wed, Nov 22, 10 ET, ESPN: CP3 spent the past three seasons in Phoenix, leading the Suns to their first Finals in 28 years in 2021

• Jordan Poole, Washington at Golden State, Fri, Dec 22, 10 ET, ESPN: It was a Poole Party in the Bay Area for four seasons

• Jrue Holiday, Boston at Milwaukee, Thu, Jan 11, 7:30 ET, TNT: Holiday spent the past three seasons in Milwaukee and won a title in 2021

• Bruce Brown, Indiana at Denver, Sun, Jan 14, 3:30 ET, League Pass: The 2023 champ should receive his ring on his 1st visit to Denver

• Damian Lillard, Milwaukee at Portland, Wed, Jan 31, 10 ET, ESPN: Lillard spent the 1st 11 seasons of his career in Rip City, scoring more points than any Blazer 

• Bradley Beal, Phoenix at Washington, Sun, Feb 4, 3:30 ET, NBA TV: After 11 seasons in DC, Beal ranks top 4 in franchise history in GAMES, PTS, AST, STL, FGM, 3PM and FTM

• Marcus Smart, Memphis at Boston, Sun, Feb 4, 6 ET, ESPN : Often referred to as the “heart and soul” of the Celtics over his nine-season run in Boston
  
• Fred VanVleet, Houston at Toronto, Fri, Feb 9, 7:30 ET, League Pass: VanVleet played his first 6 seasons in Toronto and helped deliver Canada its first NBA title in 2019