NBA teams starting their new seasons

The NBA off-season is over as training camp officially begins on Tuesday, just days before Ben Simmons and the 76ers play the NBL champions in the pre-season.

There were some Larry O'Brien trophies on display at Golden State's media day, shiny golden reminders of the three NBA championships that the Warriors have picked up over the past four years.

Their quest for another is about to begin.

So will the quest by 29 other teams to thwart them.

The off-season is over in the NBA.

Most teams held their media day on Monday, the prelude to the start of training camps.

And just like last year, those camps - from Hawaii to British Columbia to Massachusetts and 27 other spots in between - will begin with the Warriors reigning over the league and everyone else pining to get on Golden State's level.

"We've got a long way to go to get to Golden State," LeBron James, who left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers over the summer, said.

"They can pick up right where they left off ... we're picking up from scratch...

"We can't worry about what Golden State is doing. Golden State is Golden State and they're the champions."

With the exception of Dallas and Philadelphia, who were permitted to start camp early because they're headed to China for pre-season games, every NBA team will have their first practice of the season on Tuesday.

"There's one team that's figured it out, all right?" Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

"Golden State has figured it out. They have the template right now. Everybody else is just trying to figure it out."

Warriors guard Stephen Curry said he was eager for media day, calling it "the official start to another season."

"Excited to get back to work, get the guys back together. Look forward to chasing another championship," Curry said in a video posted to the Warriors' social media channels.

In Toronto and San Antonio, new Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard and new Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan talked about the summer blockbuster trade that saw them swap teams.

In Boston, Gordon Hayward talked about how he's finally been able to play 5-on-5 again after his first season with the Celtics ended with a horrific leg injury on opening night.

"There's nothing like playing basketball," he said. "There's nothing like in-game stuff that you can't get from drills."

Pre-season games start on Friday, with Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers playing NBL champions Melbourne United among those games.

On October 16, it begins for real with Philadelphia visiting Boston and Oklahoma City headed to Golden State - the night when the Warriors will collect their latest championship rings.


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Source: AAP



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