LeBron James is uncertain if he will get the chance to play on the same team as fellow great Stephen Curry before one of the duo retires.
Curry and James teamed up for the first time to help Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics this summer.
But with 39-year-old James and 36-year-old Curry in the twilight of their careers, the chances of them teaming up at another Olympics are slim.
Indeed, with James committed to the Los Angeles Lakers and Curry to the Golden State Warriors, the best fans can likely hope for is a joint All-Star appearance.
"I have no idea," James said ahead of the Lakers facing the Warriors in preseason.
James and Curry formed a thrilling NBA Finals rivalry between 2015 and 2018, facing off against each other 22 times.
"It was everything and more," James said of teaming up with Curry at the Olympics.
"I was super excited to be able to finally team up with him in a win-or-die type atmosphere. That's what it was, being a part of the Olympics.
"It was everything that I dreamed of and aspired to want to be a part of that team, along with Steph. Great memories. Something that I'll remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life, for sure.
"I understand what Steph has done for this game. I understand what he's done for his organisation, what he's done for the community, people all over the world.
"Just by his approach to the game and how he is as a man. How he is as a family man. How he is as a husband, a dad, a son, all that stuff.
"So when you have that type of respect for somebody and then you get to be around them every day and you see the way they work and how they treat their craft, it's a pretty cool thing. You're able to just respect that and not take it for granted."
Klay Thompson admitted to getting butterflies ahead of making his Dallas Mavericks debut on Thursday, before predicting his stint with the team will be "special".
Thompson was at the centre of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty before leaving the franchise in July, winning four NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.
Having been drafted 11th overall in 2011, Thompson left the Warriors as the player with the fourth-most games played in team history (793) and the sixth-most points (15,531).
He penned a three-year, $50million deal with the Mavs ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and his first preseason appearance for the team came in a 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Thompson scored 10 points in 18 first-half minutes at American Airlines Center, before revealing his pre-game nerves were the worst he had experienced since his first trip to the NBA Finals.
"I haven't been that nervous, I don't think, since the 2015 Finals Game 1," Thompson said after the game.
"It felt so good just to go out there and play and work those jitters out.
"It was a new experience, and it's a natural feeling when you've been somewhere so long and to be somewhere new in a new environment.
"To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing. I'm just excited to experience a new chapter. It's going to be special. I just know it."
Dallas' next preseason game sees them face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, before they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in their final run-out before the new campaign.
LeBron James said sharing the court with his son Bronny was one of the greatest things a father could wish for after the pair teamed up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
On his 20th birthday, Bronny – the 55th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft – appeared alongside his father in the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.
They became the first father-son duo to ever play in any NBA game as the Lakers were beaten 118-114.
LeBron finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes in the Lakers' 118-114 loss, while Bronny missed his only shot attempt in 13 score-less minutes and had two boards with four turnovers.
"For a father, it means everything," LeBron James said after the game in Palm Desert, California.
"For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have an influence on your son...
"Be able to have moments with your son, and ultimately, to be able to work with your son... I think that's one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for."
LeBron almost delivered an assist for Bronny, who narrowly missed a 3-pointer off a dribble handoff from his father.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said: "I was really hoping that wing 3 on the little side had gone in. That would have been a cool moment, but they'll have a lot of moments together, I'm sure.
"I just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason, within the flow of the game," Redick said. "I'm thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am.
"It's cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron's longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he's able to still be doing this in Year 22.
"It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny's such a great kid and he's a pleasure to be around."
Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while a freshman at USC last July, and he feels that experience helped him shut out the noise on his historic outing.
"It's just taking everything that has happened to me during this year, getting up and continuing to work every day," he said.
"It's just about finding fuel every day to get up and start working. JJ has really emphasised the defensive end and being a pest on defense. So that's what I've been trying to focus on when stepping on the floor."
It will be a birthday to remember for Bronny James - and for his father, as well.
LeBron James and Bronny made NBA history, becoming the first father and son to play in an NBA game at the same time in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in Palm Desert, California.
Not only did they become the first father-son duo to play in any NBA game, they played as team-mates.
Bronny entered the game as a substitute at the beginning of the second quarter to join his dad on the court.
The memorable moment also came on Bronny's 20th birthday.
The older James will turn 40 in December, but is still at the top of his game. He's set to begin his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA after averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games for the Lakers in 2023-24.
Bronny, who was selected with the 55th pick in this year's draft, is expected to spend much of this season in the G League, but will almost certainly have an opportunity to play alongside his father with the Lakers at some point in the 2024-25 season.
Kawhi Leonard says he is feeling "good and getting stronger" as the Los Angeles Clippers small forward continues his recovery from a knee injury.
The two-time NBA champion missed the final eight games of the 2023-24 regular season after suffering inflammation in his right knee, as well as most of the Clippers' first-round series defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs.
Leonard has since undergone surgery and heavily focused on strengthening his knee during the Clippers' training camp in Hawaii.
However, the 33-year-old knows he must not rush his return to competitive action, or playing in successive games.
"I feel good. [I have] just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready," he said during the Clippers' 91-90 pre-season defeat to the Golden State Warriors, in which he did not feature.
"We're just taking it slow, day by day, and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we'll see what they're talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs]."
Leonard played 68 regular-season games last term, his most in a single campaign since 2016-17.
And while he wants to feature as regularly as possible this season, he is focused on maintaining his fitness for the crunch stages of the campaign.
"This is what I work for," he added. "I strive to get a championship, and I'm not out there to try to [solely] play 82 games.
"I'm trying to win, even though [playing as much as I can] that's obligated for me. I try to. But it hasn't worked out [the last two post-seasons], so we'll see."
Julius Randle says he is happy to be at the Minnesota Timberwolves where he "feels wanted" but admitted feeling shocked by the New York Knicks trade.
He was part of a blockbuster trade, joining the Timberwolves with Donte DiVincenzo, as Karl-Anthony Towns headed the other way in a deal that was completed earlier this week.
Randle was a three-time All-Star with the Knicks as their starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.
Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, though he did not play in the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder on January 27 and opted to undergo surgery in April after two months of rehab.
Although he had initially been looking forward to another shot at the playoffs with the Knicks, he is now invigorated about joining another championship contender.
"It was a lot of emotion," Randle said. "You spend a lot of time living in one place, you know, New York, going there five years ago... A lot of blood, sweat, and tears put into that organization and uniform. Initially, it's always going to be a shock.
"You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here. At this point in my career, I've accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.
"[The trade] was a breath of fresh air. I'm excited to bring everything I've learned here over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help.
"I want to help [Anthony Edwards]. I want to help Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid] - all those guys. I want to help win a championship, and that's the only thing that matters."
The Timberwolves start their season against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 22, with their preseason beginning against the same opponent on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns bade farewell to the Minnesota Timberwolves as he completed a trade to the New York Knicks.
In a three-team trade also involving the Charlotte Hornets, Towns has joined the Knicks with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo heading the other way.
Towns, a four-time NBA All-Star, averaged 19.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season.
Having joined the Timberwolves in 2015, Towns said goodbye in an emotional social media message.
"To the Timberwolves Family: Nine years ago, I arrived in Minnesota as a young man with a dream," he said.
"Little did I know that this place would become my home, and its people would become my family.
"Your love, support, and unwavering loyalty have fuelled my journey and inspired me to be the best player I could be. You'll always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for everything."
Towns could well meet his old team on October 13, with the Wolves and Knicks slated to play each other in preseason.
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