There are 1,230 games across 169 days in the NBA regular season - but the biggest draw of them all could come on day one. One of the greatest players in the sport's history in LeBron James will make his 76ers debut alongside a plethora of other superstars in a new-look Philadelphia side that visit the title holders - New York Knicks - at Madison Square Garden, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 11pm on Tuesday.
It doesn't get any bigger than this to begin a new season.
Much of the off-season discussion has centred around James' move to the east coast and the threat his Sixers side could pose to existing title contenders. That is talk that a stacked Knicks team will be hoping to prove is cheap at the very first opportunity in front of what is set to be a raucous New York crowd, with the home side set to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy in front of their fans pre-match after winning their first championship in 53 years.
So - is Philadelphia's drastic off-season rebuild actually enough to give them true title credentials? Or are the Knicks still in pole position to retain the NBA championship?
We assess the state of play in the Eastern Conference heading into the blockbuster match that opens the new NBA season...
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing