Media Day in the NBA: Optimism abounds, and new faces settle into new homes

Klay Thompson walked through the Dallas Mavericks' facility in his new uniform for the first time. Chris Paul posed side-by-side with Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio, one standing about a foot and a half taller than the other. And LeBron James and Bronny James officially headed to work together in Los Angeles as the NBA's first father-and-son teammates.

Basketball is back.

Monday was Media Day for 28 of the 30 NBA teams, featuring new faces — Paul, Thompson, Paul George in Philadelphia among them — in new places and tons of optimism everywhere before training camps truly begin for those clubs on Tuesday. The exceptions are Boston and Denver; they got to start camp last week because they'll be heading to the United Arab Emirates for preseason games this week.

“It’s the NBA. Everyone starts 0-0 at the beginning of the year,” said another of those new faces in new places, guard Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder. “And everyone thinks that they could win a championship or reach the playoffs, whatever it is, that big trophy for that team at the end of the year. You have to show up and play the games.”