Starting 5: Highlights from NBA Media Day

Year 24 for No. 23, and a new King in Philly. LeBron James donned Sixers blue for the first time yesterday, opening a new chapter for the league’s all-time leading scorer.

What else popped during Monday’s 28 Media Days?

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Sept. 29, 2026

In A Flash: Sixers’ star power, Giannis in Miami, Jokić being Jokić and other Media Day must-sees

Same Faces, New Places: More major offseason moves came into focus Monday

Rookie Spotlight: Dybantsa in D.C., Wilson loving Chicago and other top rookie moments

New Leaders: Three first-time NBA head coaches are ready to take the helm this season

What’s Next: Preseason tips off Saturday, with the regular-season opening tripleheader on Oct. 20 exactly three weeks away

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Mike Kirschbaum + Stephen Maturen/NBAE via Getty Images

The WNBA Playoffs deliver two potential elimination games tonight, with the Aces and Liberty both up 1-0 in their best-of-three First Round series. Meanwhile, the Fever and Lynx will look to force winner-take-all Game 3s.

• Aces at Fever (6:30 ET, Prime)
• Lynx at Liberty (8:30 ET, USA/CNBC)

1. IN A FLASH: SIGHTS & SOUNDS FROM MEDIA DAY

What will the 2026-27 season look like?

Monday offered the first glimpse as 28 teams held their Media Days, providing a snapshot of the new NBA landscape – from revamped rosters to title contenders running it back.

First stop: Philadelphia, where LeBron James and Jaylen Brown turned a routine photo opp into a reminder of just how much changed this offseason.

• LeVersatile: What will James’ role look like in Philly? He says he’s ready to do whatever it takes to win
• Gym Bros: James also spoke on his relationship with Tyrese Maxey, who joked that he’s not LeBron’s workout partner – LeBron is his workout partner
• Group Chat Assist: Who adds the King to the group chat? VJ Edgecombe was wondering the same thing, so he got some help from Maxey
• More From Philly: See John Schuhmann’s five takeaways from LeBron’s first Media Day as a Sixer

There was early chemistry on display in Miami, too. At his first Media Day with the Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the fusion (above) with new co-star Bam Adebayo, then praised the energy he brings every night.

• “One of the best two-way players in the league,” Giannis said of Bam. “He never takes days off.”

Speaking of chemistry, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are back to their usual antics, as the defending champion Knicks returned from a busy offseason.

• Everywhere In NYC: ICYMI – Brunson hosted Saturday Night Live last week, while Hart threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on his own bobblehead night
• Hart On Brunson’s SNL Performance: “I don’t think he has a future in acting.” 😂
• More From New York: See Steve Aschburner’s five takeaways from Knicks Media Day

Out West, Nikola Jokić kept a Media Day tradition going, and after years of raising the stakes, he may have played his biggest hand yet.

In San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama enters Year 4 drawing motivation from the Spurs’ NBA Finals defeat.

• “We’re going to face these emotions,” said Wemby on falling three wins short of the title. “We’re in a great spot. We’re very hopeful, very ambitious, and we’re ready.”
• Thunderclap: OKC, who fell to San Antonio in Game 7 of the West Finals, is also ready for another run. This time, with a healthy Jalen Williams
• “We’ll have an All-NBA talent,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Williams, who suffered from an injury-plagued 2025-26. “[He] puts the ball in the basket and guards one through five … I’m excited.”

NBAE via Getty Images

Also back? Tyrese Haliburton, who said he’s “100%” healthy after missing last year with a torn Achilles.

More stars look eager to hit the floor, from Steph Curry – fresh off a two-year extension and proud to rep the Warriors – to Luka Dončić, whose banter with Austin Reaves is in midseason form.

2. SAME FACES, NEW PLACES: OFFSEASON MOVEMENT IN FOCUS

David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Sixers and Heat weren’t the only teams welcoming new stars on Monday.

After a wild offseason, familiar faces posed in new threads across the league. That included a new arrival joining Anthony Edwards in Minnesota and a former Finals MVP returning to Toronto.

• Minny’s New Arrival? The always-electric LaMelo Ball, who – while rocking the Wolves’ new uniforms – said he already sees plenty in common with his new running mate
• “We really got the same personality,” Ball said of Edwards on Monday. “Just real cool, confident, outgoing … that’s my brother.”
• Smiles In The Six: At Raptors Media Day, Leonard, who led the franchise to its lone NBA title in 2019, reminisced on the iconic laugh from his introductory press conference nearly a decade ago
• Another Callback: Kawhi wasn’t the only Raptor revisiting viral moments, as Scottie Barnes and local reporter Sean Leathong shared a laugh over their interaction from last week

Via Toronto Raptors Instagram

Coast To Coast: As Leonard joined Barnes in Toronto, more stars stepped out in their new homes, from Paul George joining Jayson Tatum in Boston to Ja Morant settling in with Portland.

Maddie Meyer + Steph Chambers/NBAE via Getty Images

It didn’t stop there. Across the league, a slew of familiar faces stepped in front of the camera wearing new colors.

Mikal Bridges, Walker Kessler | Christian Petersen/NBAE via Getty Images + Los Angeles Lakers Instagram

Lu Dort, DeMar DeRozan | Todd Kirkland + Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

Tyler Herro, Naz Reid | Gary Dineen + Jared C. Tilton/NBAE via Getty Images

Peyton Watson, John Collins | Jason Miller + Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images

3. ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT: FIRST MEDIA DAY MOMENTS

In June, they heard their names called. On Monday, they met with the media as NBA players.

Several members of the 2026 Draft class flashed their potential during NBA Summer League. Now, with their first NBA seasons drawing closer, they’re getting acquainted with their new teammates.

For No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, that includes All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. And AD already likes what he sees out of AJ.

• “He’s got all the tools to be successful in this league,” said Davis. “AJ has a special talent.”
• Full Confidence: Asked how much pressure he feels entering Year 1, Dybantsa’s answer was simple: “None.”

While Dybantsa gears up for his D.C. debut, No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson has already gotten a taste of Chicago’s sports scene.

That included a trip to Wrigley Field with Bulls teammate Matas Buzelis and Bears QB Caleb Williams this summer, where the three went viral while cheering on Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs.

• “I learned that Chicago really cares about their athletes and cares about winning,” Wilson said at Media Day. “I can really play for that.”

Patrick McDermott + Ezra Shaw/NBAE via Getty Images

Winning is familiar to No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg. After capturing the national title at Michigan last spring, Lendeborg helped lead Golden State to a Summer League title, earning Championship Game MVP.

He still has some catching up to do with the four-time NBA champion Draymond Green, though. And Green, a Michigan State alum, couldn’t resist a little college rivalry trash talk with his new teammate.

More From The Rooks: No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson took the spotlight in Utah, No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer shared his Summer Wrapped in Memphis and No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. had some fun with his new teammates in Brooklyn.

4. NEW LEADERS: THREE FIRST-TIME NBA HEAD COACHES TAKE THE HELM

NBAE via Getty Images

Six teams enter the 2026-27 season with new head coaches.

For three of them, it will be their first time leading an NBA team. Dusty May takes over in Dallas after winning a national title at Michigan, while longtime NBA assistants Micah Nori and Sean Sweeney lead Portland and Orlando, respectively.

As part of the 2026-27 Amex Season Preview, NBA.com’s Brian Martin profiles all three, examining the paths that brought them here and what they hope to build.

At Media Day, each coach offered a glimpse of the identity he wants to establish.

• May: “The keys to winning are the same at every level … We’re going to have a team that’s going to compete, and I think we’re going to have a team that’s going to be extremely connected.”
• Nori: “Our depth is going to help us apply pressure and be much more physical … and we have to rebound at a high level.”
• Sweeney: “We’re gonna be competitive. We’re gonna be connected. And we’re gonna be tough in everything we do.”

5. WHAT’S NEXT: KEY PRESEASON DATES TO KNOW

David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Media Day is in the books, training camp opens today and the preseason is just four sleeps away.

The action begins Saturday with the Heat and Raptors squaring off in Quebec City for an NBA Canada Game (7 ET, NBA TV), the first of 67 preseason games over 14 days, including a trip to Macao for the NBA China Games.

Then, in exactly three weeks, the regular season begins with a tripleheader on NBC/Peacock. Below are some key dates to circle before then.

• Today: NBA training camps open
• Oct. 3: Preseason begins with the NBA Canada Game (Heat vs. Raptors | Quebec City, 7 ET, NBA TV)
• Oct. 4: Warriors vs. Clippers in Honolulu, HI (7 ET)
• Oct. 9 & 11: NBA China Games 2026 (Mavericks vs. Rockets | Macao)
• Oct. 10: NBA Canada Game (Clippers vs. Raptors | Vancouver, 6:30 ET)
• Oct. 16: Preseason ends
• Oct. 19: Rosters set for NBA Opening Day (5 p.m. ET)
• Oct. 20: Regular season begins with an NBC/Peacock tripleheader (Celtics at Pistons, 3 ET | 76ers at Knicks, 7 ET | Thunder at Spurs, 9:30 ET)

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