Just before the Minnesota Timberwolves opened the season against the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, they reached a three-year, $110 million extension with center Rudy Gobert, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the extension is not yet official.

Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, is now under contract with Minnesota through 2027-28 for a total of $153.8 million.

Once the Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, locking up Gobert beyond this season became a necessity for a team trying to win the Western Conference. Minnesota reached the conference finals last season but lost to Dallas.

The Timberwolves acquired Gobert from Utah before the start of the 2022-23 season. It took time for Gobert to find his footing with his new team, and it looked like the trade might be a bust for the Timberwolves, who sent five first-round picks to the Jazz in the deal.

All things T-Wolves: Latest Minnesota Timberwolves news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

However, last season Gobert averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks and shot 66.1% from the field while helping Minnesota become the No. 1 defense in the league.

Gobert was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24.

Was Dikembe Mutombo on the flight?

Mike Riley wondered as he stood in the waiting area at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. It was the late 1980s, when you could walk right up to the gate and meet your party.

Riley was there with Craig Esherick, a fellow assistant men’s basketball coach at Georgetown. They brought along NBA player Michael Jackson, who had played guard for the Hoyas before the Sacramento Kings, and a friend of his who spoke French.

“With all the languages that Dikembe could speak, he could not speak English,” Riley recalls.

The coaches were skeptical. They had learned about Mutombo, as Riley recalls, through a family connection. But they had gotten tips on African players before. The players weren’t as tall as advertised, and one of them simply couldn’t jump.

“We got the idea that people were just calling, trying to sell the kid, to get the kid to come to the United States,” Riley says.

This time, they weren’t even sure the player, from Congo, was on the plane.

As the stream of people deboarding dwindled to the crew, the coaches asked a flight attendant if anyone was left. She said there were a couple of stragglers.

“Is there a tall guy?” they asked.

“Oh God, he is really tall,” she replied.

When Mutombo finally appeared in the doorway, he had to bend his head down to walk through it.

“Uh oh, we may have something here,” Riley thought.

Every meeting with Mutombo, who died late last month at 58, just seemed unforgettable. The gentle giant of a man would go on to reach the Basketball Hall of Fame for his collegiate and professional success, but his large footprint leaves a legacy far beyond the court.

He was a global ambassador for the NBA and a leader in humanitarian efforts for his home continent. He was a loving father, a model teammate and an advocate for making kids’ lives better.

And as the NBA season dawns this week, he is someone who will be sorely missed across the basketball community.

“He always brought a smile,” says Jerome Williams, a Hoyas power forward from 1994 to 1996 who was mentored by Mutombo and later traveled with him on goodwill trips back to Africa when the both were pros.

USA TODAY Sports spoke with Williams ad Riley, who coached Mutombo for four years at Georgetown, to relive his memory. And there are lessons all of us – parents, coaches and athletes – can learn from the big guy with the husky voice and perpetually wide grin that seemed to warm everyone he met.

“His laugh sounded like the Cookie Monster,” Williams says. “He could speak several different languages, and sometimes you thought he was speaking a foreign language when he was speaking English, which would make you laugh.

“He always brought joy to any situation.”

Be eager to learn, to try new things and to better yourself

When Riley and the others got in the car at Dulles airport to drive to Georgetown’s campus, they learned Mutombo did speak English. Well, at least two names could be distinguished through his heavily accented words: Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning.

At that moment, there were no thoughts of Mutombo joining the two famous centers on the school’s Mt. Rushmore of big men. No one was even sure if he would play a game for the Hoyas.

In the grainy footage the coaches had seen of Mutombo, he had been playing on what looked like grass or dirt, and the baskets appeared about 8 feet high.

“Can you jump and touch the rim?” Georgetown coach John Thompson asked him when he got to the gym on campus.

Mutombo walked over to the regulation-sized 10-foot hoop, got on his tiptoes and hit the bottom of it with his finger.

“Come on, son,” Riley recalls Thompson saying. “Come on upstairs. We gotta talk.”

During the long conversation, the coaches saw a guy who “doesn’t come with any real baggage,” Riley said. He simply wanted to go to school and to learn.

“You root for people that are good people,” Riley says. “He used every bit of 7-2. Now there are people that are tall that don’t use their height, but he used every bit of the 7-2, because he wasn’t well-versed in basketball.”

Mutombo’s height was about all he had going for him. He couldn’t pass very well and didn’t understand where to stand on the court.

We can look at life’s challenges as either struggles or opportunities. It was apparent Mutombo viewed most everything he encountered as an opportunity.

“Dikembe took five regular courses at Georgetown, while also taking a course to learn English,” Riley says. “I think that’s just amazing to me, how well he did and how well he made the adjustment to being able to speak English.  

“I guess where he comes from, this is it, I’m here. You can walk up to the cafeteria and have free meals. There’s probably a commitment to making sure that you stay here and you do well here.”

Mutombo was half a world away from his native Zaire, but that distance was a matter of perspective. He was now at a prestigious university playing for one of basketball’s foremost coaches.

As it turns out, the coach was feeding off him, too.

Don’t rely on one skill. Instead, be a ‘filling station’

A new language was one hurdle. Mutombo also had to learn how to speak basketball: being at the elbow, sliding down to the wing, going to the weak side or even simply to “drive!” None of the slang meant anything to him.

Thompson had to physically move Mutombo to spots on the floor and then explain the terminology. Mutombo soaked up everything.

‘Dikembe is a refreshing person to work with,’ Thompson said in 1990, according to USA TODAY’s Steve Berkowitz, who then was at The Washington Post. ‘He’s like a filling station for a coach. I can go in and get new energy from him. I enjoy him.

“I think that’s a part kids don’t understand. They come to receive, but they don’t realize that they also give. Dikembe is that way. You can get angry at him and he understands that you’re not trying to personally attack him. He says a lot of things when I’m angry that will make me break into a smile. And at this age, you need that filling station.’

While Mutombo’s height brought him to the USA, his willingness to figure out the intricacies of basketball kept him here.

“He wasn’t ultra-talented but he took what he learned and he used that,” Riley says. “You don’t really develop because of the coach. I shouldn’t say you don’t, you do, but you really develop because you want to develop.”

Mutombo played intramural basketball and in the school’s summer Kenner League. Through repetition, he learned how you need timing to block shots.

During his first season playing at Georgetown (1988-1989), he set a Big East record with 12 blocks during a game against St. John’s.

“His teammates respected him an awful lot because they knew that if they weren’t playing great defense, that he was going to be the emergency at the glass,” Riley says. “They loved him, and they loved to talk about where he was from. They would tease him about being in America. And he would say, ‘You Americans, got it too soft.’

“There was no animosity. He was just as happy about somebody else doing something as he would have been for himself. And he had that big, deep voice that just boomed out.”

Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhh, Coach Riley!

Riley’s wife couldn’t stop laughing when they opened a restaurant door in Georgetown and Mutombo greeted them that way.

“That was the first time she had ever met him,” Riley says. “So he shook her hand and he starts telling a story. I said, ‘Come on, let’s go. (No) time to listen to Dikembe’s stories.’ ”

You can always find ways to make your team better

Mourning, who tutored Mutombo at hoops, once said it was impossible not to like Mutombo. That first season together, they reached the Elite Eight and the pair formed a formidable front line on two more NCAA tournament teams.

For the rest of his life, Mutombo returned the favor many times over.

“He was always helpful in a big brother way, just letting us know we could do it,” Williams says.

Williams arrived at Georgetown in 1994 as a transfer from a junior college in Maryland, He found himself matched up against a guy who would be crowned the NBA’s defensive player of the year the following season.

“Dikembe was like the ultimate role model,” says Williams, who went on to reach a Sweet 16 and Elite Eight with the Hoyas and play nine seasons in the NBA. Mutombo played 18.

“He wasn’t the scorer on the team,” Williams says. “He wasn’t the main guy. He was rebounding. He’d set screens. He’d block shots. He taught me that if I was a good rebounder, I could be a good role player as well.”

Develop a number a skills. Play a number of roles or positions. It’s a good lesson for any kid trying to make a team.

Mutombo had another.

 “He was gonna make sure he blocked as many of our shots as possible to let us know it wasn’t gonna be easy, and that pushed all of us,” Williams said.

As he became an established star, Mutombo punctuated those blocks by waving his finger to the crowd.

“The ‘no, no, no,’ finger wag became infamous, and that’s what he was known for and he branded it,” Williams says. “And that was like the best thing because where he said, ‘No, no, no,’ on the court, he always said, ‘Yes, yes, yes’ to people in the community.”

Coach Steve: Jerome Williams coaches kid athletes to market themselves at an early age

Don’t forget where you come from, and send the elevator back there

Williams says their friendship began when Mutombo invited him to his house for a barbecue during those collegiate summers. The relationship continued from there.

“I saw at a very young age his interactions with his kids,” Williams says. “Good fun-loving father, being there for his kids, jerking around with his kids, teaching his kids the proper way in life. Just like he would do for everybody else.”

It was the start – and a foreshadowing – of the work they would do in Africa for the NBA. Mutombo invited him to South Africa and Botswana to aid in building facilities for kids and, of course, play basketball with them.

“We would just encourage them never to give up, believe in themselves, and to always try to be the best. No excuses. That was his message,” Williams says. “A lot of NBA players come from Africa, and he was one of the trailblazers that really spearheaded Basketball Without Borders and gave it a lot of fuel.

“And from Africa, they were able to move into places like China and India and South America, and I went on a lot of those trips. The NBA now is such as global game, and basketball is such a global game, but it started with a lot of the outreach that he was doing.”

Mutombo used his financial resources and returned to provide aid to his native country, which has been known as the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1997.

He was instrumental in building the Biamba Mari Mutombo Hospital there, named in honor of his mother.

In recent years, Mutombo was a fixture at Hoyas games, watching his son Ryan play for his alma mater. (Mutombo and his wife, Rose, had seven children, including four nieces and nephews they adopted.)

Sometimes Williams, whose daughter Gabby was in the same graduating class as Ryan, would join him courtside.

“His famous quote ― I still use it to this day when I meet with kids and I tell ‘em that whenever you take the elevator up, meaning you make it to your dreams and get to see the top, make sure you go back down to bring somebody else up.”

Mutombo credited his grandmother with the quote. It also seems appropriate applied to him, a man who always found his way home.

“I always say that I’m glad that I had opportunity to cross paths with certain people, and Dikembe is definitely one of them,” Riley says. “He showed me something that I hadn’t seen before. He always made me feel happy when I was around him. And he always was happy to see me whenever we ran across paths to each other.

“So I just think that his passing is tough for a lot of people.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Saturday night’s showdown between Georgia and Texas had major fallout. From a controversial officiating decision that benefited the Longhorns to Texas getting a rude welcome to their new league and the Bulldogs establishing themselves as the class of SEC, there were some major story lines coming out of Week 8.

Things weren’t great for Alabama over the weekend with a loss to Tennessee revealing more concerns about the Kalen DeBoer era and whether this is a playoff-caliber squad. The defeat also raises questions about how many teams the SEC can put into the 12-team field with several contenders on shaky ground.

Looking ahead to Week 9, the Crimson Tide get another test from Missouri. But that’s not the only major matchup. LSU pays a visit to Texas A&M, Notre Dame gets a tricky test from Navy and Oregon hosts Illinois. Who wins these showdowns?

Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Change at the top of the playoff field after Week 8

RUDE WELCOME: Texas got a first real taste of the SEC and it wasn’t great

BRACKET PROJECTION: Georgia moves into top seed with Texas win

SLEEPERS: Who are the teams worth watching outside the playoff

CALM DOWN:  Alabama, Texas lead biggest Week 8 overreactions

RE-RANK:  Oregon takes over top spot of NCAA 1-134 after Texas loss

LOS ANGELES — The five-day break before the World Series couldn’t have come at a better time for Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Freeman, who missed two of the last three games against the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series with a badly sprained ankle, revealed Tuesday that he’ll definitely be in the lineup Friday night (8 p.m. ET, Fox) for Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium.

“With this time off, it’s going to be a 100% go for me in Game 1,’’ Freeman said. “I don’t think there’s any question in anybody’s mind that I will be in the lineup for Game 1.’’

Freeman, who has been spending 4½ hours before each game getting treatment on the ankle he injured on Sept. 26, hit just .167 (3-for-18) in the NLCS. He hasn’t produced an extra-base hit in the entire postseason.

“With a good swing, that’s where the power comes,’’ said Freeman, who had 22 homers and 35 doubles this season. “I don’t have any power right now.’’

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

Yet, the extra rest, Freeman says, could be the magical elixir, enabling him to feel like himself again.

“Every day I can get off my feet, not running, treating this is huge,’ Freeman said. ‘I can still hit. I can still do all of that kind of stuff. It’s more of once I take that first run-step, that’s when everything kind of flares up in my ankle. So I’m now at three straight days of not running, and just only treating it.

“So, every day is going to be better.’’

The Dodgers scored 20 runs in the two games that Freeman was out of the starting lineup, with Max Muncy shifting to first base. But clearly they’re a better team when the eight-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner is at first base.

“You’re talking about one of the most consistent hitters over the last (15) years,’’ Muncy said. “It’s .300 every year, a ton of doubles, a bunch of homers, drives in 100 runs. You’re just talking about an absolute complete player on the offensive side.

“And to get him back, to have that in the lineup, to have that depth. And on top of that, the key hits that he’s had, the clutch hits he’s had in his career, at this time of year you can’t really quantify how valuable that is. We know how valuable he is to us, and we’re excited to have him back.’’

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called the time off for Freeman “huge’’ for his recovery, and is optimistic that it will not only enable Freeman to regain his swing, but even play all nine innings without having to be taken out for defensive reasons.

“I think the swing is in a good place,’’ Roberts said, “it’s just kind of seeing how long we can kind of sustain that.’’

And this time, instead of nursing his ankle during the Dodgers’ clinching victory for a World Series berth, Freeman hopes to be smack dab in the middle of the clubhouse celebration having an entire winter to heal.

“I think it certainly hurt him not being able to be a part of things, and not being part of Game 6,’’ Roberts said, “but appreciating the fact that we’ve got four more days to nurse his ankle back to health. I think there’s only upside in that. Mentally, I think he’s in a good spot. Anxious obviously with the ankle, but I don’t doubt the fact that he’ll be in there for Game 1.

“Hopefully, we’ve gotten ourselves out of the woods and we can manage him throughout the World Series.’’

In other news, the Dodgers announced that Jack Flaherty, who grew up as a Dodgers fan in Los Angeles, will start Game 1 of the World Series.

The irony is that he’s facing the Yankees, who actually agreed to a preliminary trade with the Detroit Tigers for Flaherty at the trade deadline — but the Yankees balked at his physicals that revealed an inflamed back, enabling the Dodgers to instead trade for him.

“There was a lot more to all that with the deadline that I just kind of held onto,’’ Flaherty said. “Things worked out the way that they did. We’re here. We’re with L.A. It’s crazy on the other side of this, but I’m happy for the situation that I’m in and being a part of this team.’’

Flaherty has become the Dodgers’ ace amid their influx of injuries, going 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts with the Dodgers. He lost his lone start in the NL Division Series against the Padres, pitched seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the NLCS against the New York Mets, but gave up eight runs in Game 5.

Still, Roberts and the front office think he’s more suited for Game 1. They’ll start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 and have a bullpen game or call on Walker Buehler to start in Game 3.

“I think if you’re looking at both of those pitchers, and what the potential World Series could look like,’’ Roberts said, “just giving both those guys the best opportunity to pitch and put them in the best spots possible as far as days of rest, things like that.’’

Flaherty could pitch again on regular rest in Game 5 with Yamamoto scheduled for Game 6.

The Dodgers are cautiously optimistic that left-handed reliever Alex Vesia, who missed the NLCS with a calf injury, could return to their World Series roster, and perhaps also right-handed reliever Brusdar Graterol.

“They are both trending in the right direction,” Roberts said. “With both of these guys, it’s going to be a type of game-time decision if they’re going to be viable or not.”

The Dodgers would particularly welcome Vesia back, who would give them two lefties in the bullpen with Anthony Banda.

The Dodgers, who also could add shortstop Miguel Rojas, must submit their World Series rosters by Friday morning.

Yet, one decision has been made perfectly clear.

Freeman is back, and no matter how much pain he’s in, he’ll be playing.

“We have the utmost respect for him and the way he goes about it,” Dodgers center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said earlier this postseason. “He’s an absolute dog. For him to do what he’s done, absolutely amazing.”

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Tuesday is the last first game of the season for TNT’s popular and award-winning “Inside the NBA” program and crew.

Ernie Johnson. Charles Barkley. Kenny Smith. Shaquille O’Neal. A collective national treasure, if sports shows can be considered national treasures.

They have woven their way into the vibrant fabric of the NBA through the television screen – a perfectly imperfect blend of basketball, serious debate, humor, entertainment and life.

If you want just one of those things for your NBA viewing consumption, there are better places to go. If you appreciate the combination, it is the best place to go.

And this is their last season together or so it seems. TNT – part of Warner Bros. Discovery – will not televise NBA games following this season because the league signed in July an 11-year, $76 billion TV deal with ABC/ESPN, NBC and Amazon.

No more Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq after the 2024-25 season. Not together anyway. At least that’s the way it looks as the groundbreaking show enters its 35th year.

Most NBA fans, including Commissioner Adam Silver, understand this is a shame. Even as Silver’s league exchanges court filings with Warner Bros., which filed a lawsuit against the NBA, he laments the loss of that show and workers concerned about their future.

“That show in particular is special. I have a close relationship with everyone who’s on that show, from the time they played in the league, as well, and Ernie and I have been friends forever,” Silver said at the NBA Finals in June.

Still, the league preferred a TV deal that doesn’t include TNT, and the legal system will settle the Warner Bros. lawsuit against the NBA (Nothing But Attorneys is the old joke). As the dispute seeks resolution, let’s enjoy Ernie, Charles, Kenny and Shaq.

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

Tuesday night’s show opening the 2024-25 season is on location in Boston for the Boston Celtics-New York Knicks game, but when the show is from the Atlanta studio, Ernie Johnson will arrive at his TNT office between noon and 1 p.m. ET, making the 80-minute drive from distant suburbia. On his way, he might listen to the Avett Brothers radio or the Hamilton soundtrack or spiritual music. “It’s good for the soul,” Johnson told me three years ago.

A blackberry bush sits outside of Johnson’s office with a plaque that reads, “If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s not to fear the unscripted, but to embrace it,” with Johnson’s signature.

At work. In life.

Shortly after Johnson, the gracious, patient and funny host, became a father, he invented the phrase “blackberry moments.” It’s derived from a Little League baseball experience Johnson had as a kid. A baseball had disappeared over the fence, and two outfielders hadn’t returned in a timely manner. They were discovered picking and eating blackberries – distracted by joy and wonder.

“It became this modern-day parable for me where if I’m too busy, if I’m not going to step away from the game – and that can be my job, my next conference call or whatever you’re holding up there as the most important thing – and find the blackberries, then you’re missing out on a lot of things,” Johnson said.

Barkley calls Johnson “the nicest person I know.”

The host plays many roles, and Johnson has been called a traffic cop. But he disagrees, and he’s right. “A good traffic cop never wants a fender bender,” said Johnson who loves a good fender bender between O’Neal to his right and Smith and Barkley to his left.

There’s just enough mischief from Johnson to foster all the elements that resonate with viewers. Johnson became the full-time host in 1990-91, the season after the show debuted. Smith joined the program as a full-timer in 1998 and Barkley in 2000. O’Neal has been with the show since 2011.

“When you threw Chuck in there, his whole view was, ‘Look, if the game’s horrible, let’s talk about something else,’ ” Johnson said. “What he planted in the minds of viewers was this, ‘I don’t know what might happen. I know if I turn on this basketball show, it may not all be basketball, and a lot of times when it’s not, it’s really funny.’ … It’s OK to have fun. It’s OK to poke fun at each other. It’s OK to run to the board. It’s OK if Chuck is going to show up in shorts and we’re going to make him walk around. All of that stuff was fair game.

“I couldn’t imagine if I went in there and was getting ready for the show and I thought, ‘The only thing we’re going to be doing tonight is talking basketball.’ ”

Shortly after Barkley joined the show, Johnson asked Barkley how long he planned to be around. ‘I said, ‘Ernie, I’m going to be here three to four years, and then hopefully I’ll take over a NBA team after that,’ ‘ Barkley told me Saturday. ‘At least for the last seven years, five or six times a year, he says to me, ‘We’re only going to be here three or four years.’ And we just have a good laugh about it.’

“Inside the NBA” knows its audience. That’s a significant factor in its popularity and success. It has won 21 Sports Emmy Awards, and Johnson and Barkley have won seven and five Sports Emmys for best studio host and best studio analyst. “Inside the NBA” was the first NBA show to earn the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy honor awarded to media. For the final season, longtime producer Tim Kiely is coming out of retirement to lead the show.

‘You can’t just talk about basketball for regular fans,’ Barkley said. ‘The rest of the people, you’ve got to make them laugh or be entertained. That’s really the most important part.’

The big egos helped make the program work because they aren’t afraid to hold back, aren’t afraid to challenge each other and allow themselves to poke fun at one another. From that kind of give-and-take, “Inside the NBA” spawned popular segments – Who He Play For? EJ’s Neat-O Stat of the Night, Gone Fishin’ and Shaqtin’ A Fool.

They understand the games, while important, are not life and death, and they understand life and death. The examples: the somber, emotional episode following Kobe Bryant’s death; discussing the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas; Smith walking off the set in solidarity with players following the shooting of Jacob Blake as the NBA continued its season in the Orlando bubble; and Johnson’s on-air teammates remembering the life of Johnson’s son, Michael, who died in 2021.

Watching “Inside the NBA” is like hanging out with friends. There is going to be laughter, discussions about life, some arguments, a few tears, but mostly a good time. Longtime viewers have their favorite moments, and to reward those fans, there are tentative plans to take “Inside the NBA” on the road about once a month this season.

“There’s never been anything like ‘Inside the NBA’ in sports media, and there’s not going to be anything like it if it’s gone after next year,” wrote The Athletic’s David Aldridge, who made appearances on the show when he worked for the network.

How is Barkley approaching the show this season? ‘Going to try to make it the best year ever,’ he said. ‘Because no matter what happens, it’ll never be the same because of a couple of things. Nobody knows what’s going to happen next, but Ernie would never go to another network. Even if me, Shaq, and Kenny went to another network, it still would never be the same.

‘Let’s say be honest. Even if Ernie went with us, it would never be the same because the people at Amazon or NBC, they would not know us like the people at Turner knew us after 24 or 25 years.’

The opening night Tuesday of “Inside the NBA” reminds me of the new song from the outstanding young bluegrass musician Billy Strings called “The Beginning of the End.”

“So this is the beginning of the end

It’s been a real nice time and I can’t wait

To see you folks again

This is the beginning of the end

If there’s anyone around

You throw your arm around a friend”

We will see all the folks again, throughout this season. After that, we’ll still see them, just in different capacities and perhaps with different networks and not all together.

So, for the next 50 or so episodes of “Inside the NBA” this season, we will throw our arms around a friend.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off the 2024-25 NBA season with a win.

The Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 in their season opener at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The Timberwolves had no answer for Anthony Davis, who got it done on both sides of the floor. Davis finished the contest with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal in the win. Rui Hachimura added 18 points and five rebounds, while LeBron James finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists. 

It marked not only the regular season debut of head coach JJ Redick, but the debut of rookie Bronny James, who briefly checked in for three minutes in the second quarter. Bronny James made history alongside his father —they’re the first father-son duo to play in the same NBA game.

“It’s always been family over everything. I lost a lot of time because of this league … so to be able to have this moment where I’m working alongside my son is one of the greatest gifts I’ve got from the man above,” LeBron James said after the game. “I’m super proud of him. He’s my lifeline for sure.”

Timberwolves vs. Lakers highlights

Final score: Lakers 110, Timberwolves 103

Lakers respond after Timberwolves close gap

The Timberwolves came within four points of the Lakers, 85-81, with 10:38 remaining in the contest. The Lakers responded with a 6-0 run to extend their lead back to double digits, 91-81, with 8:36 left. The run was capped off by an alley-oop dunk for Jaxson Hayes, who blocked Mike Conley’s 3-point attempt on the other end of the floor. Hayes has given the Lakers impactful minutes off the bench and has scored 10 points, pulled down four rebounds and recorded one block in 14 minutes of play. 

End of third quarter: Lakers 82, Timberwolves 74

The Timberwolves have turned the ball over 15 times through the first three quarters, yielding 17 points to the Lakers. Yet Minnesota is only down eight points heading into the fourth quarter. 

The Lakers have been the more physical team and have dominated the paint, 54-28. Los Angeles also has 14 offensive rebounds compared to Minnesota’s eight. 

Anthony Edwards leads the T’Wolves with 19 points and five rebounds, while Anthony Davis has a team-high 25 points for the Lakers. 

Anthony Davis has a double-double 

Anthony Davis is taking over the Lakers’ season opener. The center has a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to three assists, one steal and one block with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.

Watch: Anthony Davis denies Rudy Gobert at rim

Anthony Davis denied Rudy Gobert in epic fashion. With the Lakers leading 64-50 with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter, Davis swatted a dunk attempt from Gobert, the reigning defensive player of the year. 

Halftime: Lakers 55, Timberwolves 42

The Lakers have a 55-42 lead over the Timberwolves at halftime after leading by as many as 19 points in the first half. Both teams are shooting about 41% from the field, but the Lakers have had 14 extra shot attempts in the game due mainly to the Timberwolves’ double-digit turnovers (11). 

The Lakers have 10 offensive rebounds, compared to the Timberwolves’ five, and have outscored Minnesota 36-18 in the paint. 

Anthony Edwards is the only Timberwolves player in double figures with 14 points (5-of-11 FG, 3-of-7 3PT) and three rebounds. Julius Randle has five points in his Minnesota debut. 

Anthony Davis leads the Lakers with 12 points, while Rui Hachimura has 11 and LeBron James has eight. Bronny James was held scoreless in three minutes of play in the first half. 

LeBron James slams down dunk 

Welcome to Year 22. LeBron James showed that he’s still got it as he slammed down a dunk off a bounce pass from Austin Reaves to extend the Lakers’ lead over the Timberwolves to 53-39 with 2:14 remaining in the second quarter. James turns 40 in December. 

The scene in LA as Bronny James makes NBA debut

LOS ANGELES — Bronny gets the ball near the 3-point line and the crowd sounds disappointed as he gives it up rather than launching a shot.

Lakers timeout. That stretch with LeBron and Bronny lasted 1:36. 

Bronny credited with a tipped shot — blocked by Rudy Gobert — and an offensive rebound.

More to come. Following a Lakers timeout, here come father and son for more.

‘Ohhhhhhh’ — Crowd’s reaction when Bronny misses an open 3 with about 1:40 left in the quarter.

And Bronny exits. He went 0-for-2 from the field in his 3 minutes.

Bronny James makes debut, takes court with father LeBron

LeBron James and his son Bronny James have made history. 

Bronny made his NBA debut in the Lakers’ season-opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, checking in alongside his dad with 4:00 remaining in the second quarter with the Lakers up 51-37. LeBron and Bronny are the first father and son to play in the same game in NBA History.

Rookie Dalton Knecht impressing in debut

Dalton Knecht’s debut has gotten off to a great start. Knecht, the 17th pick in the 2024 draft, gave the Lakers some good minutes off the bench. He knocked down a 3-point shot to extend the Lakers’ lead to 10, 37-27 and spurred a 14-5 run. Knecht is up five points, one rebound and one assist in 10 minutes of play.

LeBron James hits the bench

LOS ANGELES — LeBron exits the game and takes a seat next to Bronny at the end of the bench.

If they can’t share the court, at least they can share the bench.

Lakers have 7-point lead in second quarter

The Lakers went on a 10-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 34-27. 

The Lakers have dominated the Timberwolves in the paint, outscoring them 22-10. Offensive rebounds have also been a factor. The Lakers have snagged eight offensive rebounds and have put up 14 extra shot attempts than the Timberwolves, who have four offensive rebounds. 

LeBron and Bronny James: Best photos

End of first quarter: Timberwolves 23, Lakers 22

The Lakers led by as many as six points in the first quarter, before the T’Wolves closed the quarter on an 11-4 run to take their first lead of the game, 23-22. The Lakers have missed their last five field goal attempts.

Anthony Edwards leads Minnesota with eight points, while Jaden McDaniels has four points. The Timberwolves are shooting 44.4% from the field and 1-of-4 from 3.

Anthony Davis has a team-high six points, while LeBron James has four points. Collectively, the Lakers are shooting 30.8% from the field and 2-of-11 from 3.

‘We want Bronny!’ chant break out

LOS ANGELES — As Anthony Davis gets ready to shoot a second free throw with about two minutes left in the first quarter, a few fans begin to chant. ‘We want Bronny! We want Bronny!”

No luck so far, Lakers fans.

Gabe Vincent, Max Christie and Jaxson Hayes have been the first three off the bench for the Lakers.

Rudy Gobert agrees to contract extension with Timberwolves

Just before the Minnesota Timberwolves opened the season against the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, they reached a three-year, $110 million extension with center Rudy Gobert, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the extension is not yet official.

Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, is now under contract with Minnesota through 2027-28 for a total of $153.8 million.

Once the Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, locking up Gobert beyond this season became a necessity for a team trying to win the Western Conference. Minnesota reached the conference finals last season but lost to Dallas. — Jeff Zillgitt

LeBron James slams down dunk

The Lakers have an 11-7 lead over the Timberwolves with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter. Minnesota has turned the ball over three times in the first five minutes of the contest, which has led to four points for the Lakers. In one sequence, Anthony Davis stole the ball from Mike Conley with 8:39 remaining in the quarter, leading to a slam dunk from LeBron James in transition. 

Ken Griffey Jr. and dad share moment with LeBron, Bronny

What do the Jameses and Griffeys have in common? They are among the father-son duos to play in the same game together. 

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. first did so on Aug. 31, 1990, when they became the first father-son duo to play in the same MLB game. LeBron James and Bronny James are looking to do the same on the basketball court on Tuesday when the Lakers tip off their season against the Timberwolves. 

The quartet shared a moment on the court together ahead of the Lakers’ season opener and took a photo to commemorate the moment. 

When is the Timberwolves vs. Lakers game?

Tip-off for the opening night game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers is Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 10:00 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Where is Timberwolves vs. Lakers game?

The Lakers will host the Timberwolves in downtown Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena.

How to watch Timberwolves vs. Lakers game

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers matchup will be broadcast on TNT as the second game in an NBA back-to-back presentation. You can also stream on Sling. 

Watch the NBA on TNT with a Sling subscription

NBA games today: Opening night schedule 

Here are the tip-off times and TV info for the opening night double-header:

All times are Eastern 

Knicks vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Timberwolves vs. Lakers, 10:00 p.m. on TNT

Lakers starting 5 tonight

Austin Reaves
D’Angelo Russell
Rui Hachimura
LeBron James
Anthony Davis

Timberwolves starting five

Anthony Edwards
Mike Conley
Julius Randle
Jaden McDaniels
Rudy Gobert

Is Bronny James playing tonight?

The Lakers and Timberwolves are a star-studded clash of titans. However, a rookie will steal much of the spotlight on Tuesday. LeBron’s son, Bronny, will be on the roster to open season play, but it remains to be seen if he will touch the court. 

James Williams breaks down what we know so far about James and gives us his preseason stats.

Bronny James preseason stats

James appeared in all six of the Lakers’ preseason games, averaging 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. In the Lakers’ final preseason game, a 74-132 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday, James recorded 17 points, 4 rebounds, three steals and one block in a career-high 35 minutes of work.

LeBron James hazes rookie Bronny James

Bronny James might have a famous father, but he’s still getting rookie treatment. From his own father!

Well, as scripted by Nike, at least. The footwear and apparel company released a spot featuring LeBron and Bronny on the day of the Lakers opener — and LeBron was up to mischief.

Let’s hope Bronny had reliable transportation Tuesday when he left for the Lakers’ season opener. — Josh Peter

What’s on JJ Redick’s mind on big night

LeBron and Bronny James will get top billing. But the game will be Redick’s coaching debut – and his first time coaching in the Lakers’ Crypto.com Arena. (The team’s preseason games were held elsewhere.)

So how was he feeling about two hours before tipoff?

“I just ordered a stir fry back in the locker room,’’ Redick said with a grin. “Not going to lie. I’m pretty excited about that right now just to get some food.

“But I think whatever I envisioned in my previous life, that’s gone. This is who I am now. I’m a coach and so I don’t feel like tonight is at all about me. It’s about our team and it’s about our coaching staff and our group and what we’ve done so far in terms of our work and our preparation.’’

LeBron James patient about making history with Bronny

LeBron James suggested he’s in no rush to share the court with son Bronny.

‘Whenever it happens, it will happen,’ he said Tuesday after shootaround, according to ESPN. “If it’s tonight or if it’s down the line, whenever it happens, it will happen. But it’s been a treat, and just in preseason, the practices, just every day … just bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional.’

Bronny played in all six of the Lakers’ preseason games.

Ken Griffey Jr and Ken Griffey Sr will be at Lakers game 

When LeBron James and Bronny James take the court for the first time as members of the Los Angeles Lakers, it will be a moment like no other in NBA history. That’s why former MLB stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Sr., the first father-son duo to play in the same Major League Baseball game, will be on hand Tuesday night as the Lakers open the 2024-25 regular season at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

“First father and son to play baseball, now first father and son to play basketball, so it’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there,” Griffey Jr. said on MLB Network Radio earlier this week. “We made history, now we get to watch history.” 

Bronny James described the Griffeys being in attendance as ‘insane.’ He added, “I mean, only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially (with) what they’ve done.”

Inside the NBA enters final season 

Tuesday is the last first game of the season for TNT’s popular and award-winning “Inside the NBA” program and crew. Ernie Johnson. Charles Barkley. Kenny Smith. Shaquille O’Neal. A collective national treasure, if sports shows can be considered national treasures. 

Read Jeff Zillgitt’s complete column on how they have woven their way into the vibrant fabric of the NBA through the television screen – a perfectly imperfect blend of basketball, serious debate, humor, entertainment and life.

LeBron James entering 22nd season

LeBron James is getting ready to embark on his 22nd season, tying Vince Carter for the most seasons played in NBA history. James is one of only six players that have played more than 20 seasons — Carter (22), Dirk Nowitzki (21), Kevin Garnett (21), Kevin Willis, (21) and Robert Parish (21).

Timberwolves vs Lakers all-time record 

The Timberwolves and Lakers have played 129 times during the regular season in their histories, with Los Angeles getting the better of the head-to-head matchup, 85-44. The two have met twice in the playoffs, in 2003 and 2004. The Lakers took both series, 4-2. 

NBA season predictions 

The experts at USA TODAY Network offer predictions for the season ahead, including which team will lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. 

Jeff Zillgitt: Celtics over Thunder 
Scooby Axson: Celtics over Timberwolves 
Lorenzo Reyes: Nuggets over Knicks 
Damichael Cole: Thunder over Celtics 
Dustin Dopirak: Celtics over Nuggets 
Jim Owczarski: Thunder over Celtics 
Duane Rankin: Celtics over Timberwolves 
Heather Tucker: Celtics over Suns 

NBA MVP candidates 

Who is this year’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the next player to move deep into the NBA MVP conversation? Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the top candidates. 

NBA power rankings

Here is every team in the NBA ranked based on their championship odds heading into the 2024-25 regular season. All odds via BetMGM. 

Boston Celtics (+325) 
Oklahoma City Thunder (+500) 
New York Knicks (+650) 
Philadelphia 76ers (+1000) 
Denver Nuggets (+1100) 
Dallas Mavericks (+1200) 
Minnesota Timberwolves (+1200) 
Milwaukee Bucks (+1400) 
Phoenix Sun (+2000) 
Cleveland Cavaliers (+3500) 
Memphis Grizzlies (+3500) 

Bronny James health: What we know about rookie’s condition

Back on July 24, 2023, James suffered cardiac arrest during a USC offseason workout. Bronny has since spoken out about the incident and the conditioning that followed. 

Mark Giannotto has the latest on the rookie’s journey back to the court.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The 2024-25 NBA season tipped off Tuesday night, but the Boston Celtics have already won — at least with their new hardware.

The team unveiled massive rings after winning their record 18th championship in the June NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks. The rings feature 15 carats of white diamonds, representing the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. That’s just where the symbolism starts.

The ring, made by Jason of Beverley Hills, also features a removable top that uncovers a tiny replica of the championship banner the Celtics raised Tuesday night before they host the Knicks in the season opener. The inside of the removable lid holds a small, circular piece of the actual parquet floor on which Boston clinched the title.

Each ring is also individually designed with a name plate on the flank of one side, with that player’s jersey number filled in with diamonds.

All throughout, however, Boston’s dominance in the 2023-24 season is referenced. The word “champions” toward the bottom of the top of the ring contains 80 diamonds, representing the 80 total victories in the regular season and playoffs Boston recorded. The side bezel has 84 points of diamonds, representing their playoff winning percentage (.842). The inside shank features the record of each playoff series.

All things Celtics: Latest Boston Celtics news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Full details of the rings can be viewed here:

While it was the team’s 18th championship, the 2023-24 NBA title marked the first for the Celtics since the 2007-08 season.