The 2025-26 NBA season is officially at hand, and it's missing a key character. For the first time since the 2018-19 season, LeBron James is absent from the festivities. This is the first season opener he's ever missed, and his Lakers have been a fixture on opening night ever since their 2019 acquisition of Anthony Davis . He's not the only significant name we won't see on Tuesday. Obviously, the Houston Rockets will be without Fred VanVleet as he'll likely miss the season recovering from a torn ACL, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are missing key forward Jalen Williams . The season hasn't even begun and we're already missing several important players.

Alas, we soldier on without them, as their teams now must. The Rockets, Thunder, Lakers and Warriors will tip off the 20

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