NBA Media Day 2023: 5 biggest moments from the event

After months of waiting, the 2023-24 season is finally around the corner following the NBA Media Day 2023. The said event usually signals the start of training camp, which means that preseason games will soon follow thereafter. Reporters and fans were more than eager to check the updates coming from 30 teams. It’s one of the most anticipated events before the start of a season and it lived up to expectations.

The Damian Lillard trade is still reverberating. Jrue Holiday landing in Boston only added to the intrigue and excitement. Still, the NBA Media Day had a lot more to offer than the blockbuster trade that shook the league.

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Here are some of the headlines during NBA Media Day 2023

# James Harden a no-show in Philly

While the Damian Lillard impasse had been resolved, James Harden’s situation with the Philadelphia 76ers remains uncertain. The former MVP has been trying to force his way out of the 76ers but Daryl Morey has not budged on his stance.

Training camp might be even more uncomfortable for the franchise and Harden. Philly could already subject him to a fine for failing to show up for the team’s NBA Media Day 2023 event.

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#4 Steph Curry wants to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Steph Curry has never played in the Olympics. If things line up, he could debut in Paris with the USA National Basketball Team.

Here’s what Curry had to say about that event during the Golden State Warriors NBA Media Day 2023 press conference:

“I want to be playing. It’s the one thing I haven’t done. … I definitely want to be there, I definitely want to be on the team.”

Team USA could be loaded for the said quadrennial meet as LeBron James is reportedly also committed to joining the team. The LA Lakers superstar was rumored to have called Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green to join him.

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#3 Victor Wembanyama’s first NBA Media Day

Wemby-mania took a backseat following the Las Vegas Summer League Games and the subsequent FIBA World Cup. After weeks of rest and conditioning, basketball fans finally saw the young French phenom.

Victor Wembanyama talked to reporters, several of them from Europe, during the San Antonio Spurs media day. The 7-foot-4 rookie had this to say when asked about what he worked on in the offseason (via News 4 San Antonio):

“My conditioning and physical condition are way, way better than any time before in my life. Everything here is done with a purpose. I learned as much about my body in these past three months than I had learned [over] the past five years.”

Basketball fans can’t wait to see him debut in the NBA.

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#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign the Milwaukee Bucks extension next season

Giannis Antetokounmpo put the Milwaukee Bucks front office in a recent interview. He said that he would put off signing an extension unless he could see the team’s commitment to winning a championship not slack.

Milwaukee answered by trading for Damian Lillard. The Bucks gave up Grayson Allen, All-Star Jrue Holiday and a couple of first-round picks. They have emphatically answered Antetokounmpo’s wish.

The two-time MVP has confirmed that he will stay with the Bucks and will sign the contract next season.

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#1 “Emo” Jimmy Butler

For the second straight year, Jimmy Butler stole the NBA Media Day. Leading into the 2022-23 season, he shocked reporters when he came in sporting dreadlocks.

This time, he faced reporters in what he called “Emo Jimmy” style. The look was so shocking that it even disturbed teammate Bam Adebayo.

New look but the same old Jimmy Butler. He guaranteed that the Miami Heat would ultimately win it this season despite their failure to snag Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers.