Top 5 Players to Watch on NBA's Opening Night 2025

The 2025-26 NBA season tips off on October 21 with a blockbuster doubleheader that promises fireworks from the jump. In the opener, the Houston Rockets, bolstered by a seismic offseason trade for Kevin Durant, travel to Oklahoma City to face the reigning champion Thunder, who will raise their banner and hand out rings to the 2025 title squad. Later that night, the Los Angeles Lakers—now orbiting around Luka Dončić after a blockbuster deal—host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a clash of Pacific Division titans. With LeBron James sidelined by a sciatica issue, the spotlight intensifies on the stars suiting up.

Firoz Gill
October 21, 2025
4 min read

Top 5 Players to Watch on NBA's Opening Night 2025 — © David Gonzales-Imagn Images

These games aren’t just season openers; they’re loaded with narratives, from championship defenses to new superteam experiments. Here are the top five players whose performances could set the tone for the entire year. Buckle up—Opening Night is where legacies ignite.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

As the reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters the night as the league’s most dangerous two-way force, fresh off leading the Thunder to their first championship since 1979 (back when they were the Seattle SuperSonics). In the home opener against Houston, SGA will don his ring and banner alongside a stacked supporting cast, but all eyes will be on whether he can replicate last season’s dominance—30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and elite perimeter defense that suffocated opponents in the playoffs. Why watch? This is his coronation game. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to torch the Rockets’ revamped defense, potentially dropping 35+ in a statement win that reminds everyone why he’s the frontrunner for back-to-back MVP hardware. His silky pull-up game and newfound playoff poise make him the must-see player of the night.

2. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)

The Slim Reaper’s midseason trade to Houston last year was the offseason’s biggest bombshell, turning a promising young core into instant contenders. On Opening Night, Durant makes his Rockets debut against the team that just hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, a poetic revenge arc against his old Phoenix Suns connections lingering in the periphery. At 37, KD remains a scoring savant, ranking top-five in effective field goal percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers last season. Why watch? Durant’s integration with Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet could unlock a lethal pick-and-pop nightmare. Look for him to exploit OKC’s aggressive traps with unguardable midrange daggers, possibly flirting with 40 points in a bid to steal the Thunder’s thunder right out the gate. If he looks this fluid early, Houston’s title odds skyrocket.

3. Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers)

Luka’s summer move to LA—via a sign-and-trade that reshaped the West—pairs him with LeBron James in what could be the league’s most tantalizing duo. With King James out for the opener (and potentially weeks), Dončić shoulders the load against a Warriors squad hungry to reclaim relevance. Fresh off a scoring title and Finals run with Dallas, Luka enters with the third-best MVP odds at +380, boasting a fresh mind after a dominant EuroBasket showing for Slovenia. Why watch? This is Dončić’s Lakers debut, and without LeBron, he’ll orchestrate the offense like a maestro—step-back threes, no-look dimes, and bully-ball drives. Facing Curry’s quicksilver defense, expect Luka to cook for 30-10-10 stat lines, signaling if this Purple and Gold experiment can challenge the East’s beasts.

4. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

The Baby-Faced Assassin turns 38 in March, but Father Time hasn’t touched his shooting stroke yet. Curry headlines Golden State’s road trip to LA, a rivalry renewed by Dončić’s arrival and the Warriors’ quiet offseason tweaks. After a second-round exit last year, the Dubs added depth around their core, but Curry’s gravity remains their superpower—he’s chasing another rare milestone, inching toward the short list of legends with 4,000 career threes. Why watch? In a matchup billed as Curry vs. Dončić (with LeBron watching from the bench), expect the Chef to unleash off-ball sorcery: screens, flares, and logo bombs that bend defenses. A 30-point barrage here could vault Golden State back into the contender conversation, proving the dynasty’s embers still burn hot.

5. Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)

Wait—Jokić isn’t on the Opening Night slate? Close enough: The three-time MVP and his Nuggets tip off on October 23 against the Warriors, but his shadow looms large over the West’s arms race. Fresh off another historic season (top-three in points, rebounds, and assists), Jokić headlines ESPN’s Thursday doubleheader, facing a Curry-led squad in a battle of title hopefuls. Denver’s net efficiency craters without him on the floor, underscoring his irreplaceable genius. Why watch? Though not on the 21st, Jokić’s early-season form will ripple through the conference. In a potential 40-15-15 masterpiece against Golden State’s revamped frontcourt, he’ll remind everyone why he’s the +220 MVP favorite. If Denver starts 2-0 with him dissecting defenses, the Jokić-for-MVP chants begin immediately. Opening Night isn’t just basketball—it’s theater, with these five headliners scripting the opening act. Tune in on NBC and Peacock at 7:30 p.m. ET for Thunder-Rockets, followed by Lakers-Warriors at 10 p.m. The 2025-26 season feels primed for chaos, and these performances could crown early favorites or spark shocking upsets. Who will steal the show? Only one way to find out.