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By Ricardo Sandoval
Contributing Sports Writer
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The 2025-26 NBA season has finally arrived. After a long and treacherous summer, basketball is finally back on full display, and four teams will kick off the season on Tuesday night, starting with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
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The Thunder will look to defend their crown starting Tuesday when they host Houston, and following that contest will feature two other Western Conference teams with title hopes.
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The Los Angeles Lakers will host their bitter division rival, the Golden State Warriors. These two teams will be vying for playoff seeding all season long, and it all starts on Tuesday.
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LA and Golden State enter the season a bit hobbled, but it will be the Warriors who will have the upper hand in that category. According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, Warriors forwards Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga will both be available and play against the Lakers.
The two forwards landed on the injury report ahead of the season opener. Butler and Kuminga are both dealing with minor ankle inflammation.
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They both practiced leading up to Tuesday, indicating that they would be ready just in time for the season opener. The injuries to Butler and Kuminga were not a cause for concern to the Warriors.
Butler had been dealing with and managing a lingering ankle issue throughout the preseason. He was held to only two preseason games and averaged 16 minutes of action.
The 36-year-old star will enter his first full season with Golden State after being traded there prior to the trade deadline last season. He appeared in 30 regular season games for the Warriors, averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes per contest.
Kuminga has been dealing with the injury since last Tuesday, when he rolled his ankle against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 23-year-old will enter his fifth season in the league, all with the Warriors.
Last season, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 regular season appearances (10 starts). He will look for a stellar season and play a big part as the Warriors search for their second title this decade.
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