The NBA loves drama, so naturally, its two most polarizing players will square off on opening night this year. It just so happens, those two players are also responsible for the last five MVP awards and their teams don’t like each other. When LeBron James takes the floor for the Miami Heat on October 29th, he’ll see Derrick Rose in action with the Chicago Bulls for the first time in 16 months — just like the rest of the world.
Talk about easing back into things. Rose has to face the two-time defending champs in his first game back from an ACL tear that kept him out of the entire 2012 season, much to the dismay of NBA fans everywhere. No pressure, dude.
The other prime time game will feature another team that’s supposed to feature another former MVP returning from a season-ending injury but as amazing as Los Angeles Lakers fans like to believe Kobe Bryant is, he won’t be back at 100 percent health by the start of the season. That’s good news for the Los Angeles Clippers, who will be looking to start their season off on a positive note and make their mark as the best team in L.A. early on.
Here’s a safe bet for opening night in the NBA this year: the teams with hurting stars won’t come out on top. You can say your heard it here first.
