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SPORTS Tuesday 24 OcTOber 2023
NBA season set to begin with ring night in Denver, and a slew of

challengers for title

By TIM REYNOLDS Adam Silver wanted for
AP Basketball Writer years is now a reality. It
Damian Lillard went to Mil- starts on Nov. 3 with group
waukee, Bradley Beal went play, and ends with a Final
to Phoenix, Jrue Holiday Four in Las Vegas on Dec. 7
ended up in Boston and and 9. The winner gets the
Chris Paul ended up with NBA Cup and around $18
Golden State. Victor Wem- million in prize money will
banyama arrived in San be awarded, with $500,000
Antonio, Nick Nurse took going to each player on
over in Philadelphia and the winning team.
LeBron James is now the “Anything that’s going to
oldest player in the league. create higher quality bas-
As always, the NBA is open- ketball, better competition,
ing a new season with new more intensity and more
looks. fan engagement is a great
The Denver Nuggets are growth opportunity for us,”
hoping this season doesn’t said Evan Wasch, the NBA’s
end with another new executive vice president of
champion. basketball strategy.
The NBA’s 78th season CJ McCollum, the presi-
starts Tuesday, with a ring dent of the National Bas-
ceremony in Denver the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic applauds on the bench during the second half of a preseason NBA ketball Players Association,
basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
traditional celebration of Associated Press knows there are skeptics.
the reigning champions He points out that there
highlighting the opening- year.” The last five winners: City, the Clippers played in the newest Big 3 alongside also were skeptics when
night celebration. The Nug- Toronto, the Los Angeles San Diego and four play- Kevin Durant and Devin the NBA added the play-
gets beat Miami last June Lakers, Milwaukee, Golden ers were the top earners Booker. The Lillard and Beal in tournament which has
to become the league’s State and Denver. The last at exactly $1 million a year moves led to others Holi- turned out to be a massive
fifth different champion in time there was a five-sea- each.“There’s still the elite day eventually joining Bos- success and ratings bonan-
the last five years, a run of son stretch with no dupli- teams: Denver, Milwaukee, ton, Paul eventually joining za.
parity the likes of which the cate champion was 1977 Boston,” Charlotte coach Golden State. Everybody “It makes November and
league hasn’t seen in more through 1981, and it was Steve Clifford said. “But is chasing the ring. Which December not so gloomy,”
than 40 years. a very different NBA back there’s a lot of really, real- means, for now, everybody McCollum said of the in-
“We’ve gone from be- then. ly good teams that if they is chasing the Nuggets. season event. “And it gives
ing a team that’s hunting For context on what the evolve the right way, they “I just know when you have people a chance to go to
the teams in front of us to league was like in those five can get there too.” a team that can be one of Vegas and compete at a
now we’re going to be the years: Seattle had a team, The offseason included those teams that’s going to high level on television for
hunted,” Denver coach Washington was the Bullets, several major transac- compete for a title,” Miami a chance to make more
Michael Malone said. the 3-point line didn’t exist tions. Lillard’s quest to get coach Erik Spoelstra said. money. So, you have all
“And hopefully our guys when that run started, the traded to Miami wound up “And we have one of those these incentives in place,
understand the responsibil- league had 22 or 23 teams with him getting traded to teams.” along with the fact that the
ity that comes with being instead of its current 30, the Milwaukee and instantly For the first time, there are season is so long, you have
a defending champion. Nets played in New Jersey, forming a championship- two titles for teams to go af- to figure out ways to con-
There can be no off nights, the Jazz were wrapping caliber duo with Giannis ter this season. tinue to make it entertain-

because we’re getting ev- up their New Orleans run, Antetokounmpo. Beal got The In-Season Tournament ing. This is a way to accom-
erybody’s best 82 times this the Kings played in Kansas traded to the Suns, forming something Commissioner plish that.” q

Titans trade 2-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to Eagles, AP source says

By TERESA M. WALKER tion of anonymity because player. He has started 111
AP Pro Football Writer the trade has not been an- of his 120 games and has
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — nounced. not missed a game be-
The Tennessee Titans on Byard has 27 interceptions cause of injury.
Monday traded two-time since becoming a starter The Titans (2-4) have lost
All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in 2017. This deal fills a big 11 of their past 13 games
to the Philadelphia Eagles need for the Eagles (6-1) going back to last season.
for a pair of draft picks and who lost safety C.J. Gard- Their new general manag-
safety Terrell Edmunds, a ner-Johnson to Detroit in er Ran Carthon confirmed
person familiar with the free agency and are deal- in April that he asked Byard,
deal told The Associated ing with injuries in their sec- who turned 30 in August, to
Press. ondary. take a pay cut this offsea-
The Titans will receive the The 5-foot-11, 212-pound son despite leading the
Eagles’ fifth and sixth-round Byard was the first pick over- Titans in both tackles and Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard, center, tackles Baltimore
Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) during the first half of an
draft picks in 2024, ac- all in the third round of 2016 interceptions each of the NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at the Tottenham
cording to the person who and had been Tennessee’s past two seasons.q Hotspur stadium in London.
spoke to the AP on condi- longest-tenured defensive Associated Press