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As time goes on we remember less and less, it’s only the unforgettable that sticks with us in our memory. So what I thought would be fun is to discuss the most memorable moments from the 2024–25 NBA season. The moments that in 10 years time, when we look back on this year, will stick out. The unforgettable. The defining traits.

For example, when I think back to the season from 10 years ago, 2014–15, I instantly remember Klay’s 37 points in a quarter, the splash bros. coming out party, Kyrie and Love getting injured in the playoffs, the Hawks winning 60 games to ultimately get swept by Cleveland, and all the playoff buzzer beaters like LeBron versus Chicago, D-Rose versus Cleveland, and Paul Pierce versus Atlanta. These moments defined 2014–15 for me, and ahead will be those moments that defined 2024–25.

1) The Mavs trade Luka… and somehow land Cooper Flagg

In my opinion the defining moment of this past NBA season. One wild night in February completely altered the course of two franchises for the next 10–15 years. Now the Luka trade has been covered from every possible angle so I won’t delve too much into it. As the season progressed, Nico and the Mavs were looking like the biggest stooges in the league. The decision to trade Luka out the blue, to the Lakers, without shopping him, for an aging and injury prone AD was so bad even a front office from Hell consisting of Vivek Ranadive and Joe Dumars wouldn’t do it. However as time unfolds, Nico is slowly starting to look like a genius. An accidental genius, but he wouldn’t admit to that.

The future of the NBA’s most famous and biggest franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers, was looking bleak. Not only were the duo of AD and LeBron beginning to age and slowly wear down, but the organization also had few trade assets. Solid role players like Hachimura, DFS, and Gabe Vincent were about as good as it got as it seemed like the front office was adamant on keeping Reeves and their few future first round picks. But now their future seems incredibly bright. They now have one of the five best players in the league, and he is only 26 years old. The Los Angeles Lakers are in a rare position where they are building for the next 2–3 years, but with the right moves, can also win now — all thanks to a lifeline from Nico and the Mavs.

As I mentioned earlier, Nico now seems like a genius. He has essentially traded Luka for AD, Flagg, Max Christie and a first round pick. I mean that’s a really good haul. This saga has been a rollercoaster, from the shocking trade out of nowhere, to AD getting injured immediately, Luka dropping 45 on the Mavs in Dallas, the Mavs getting knocked out in the play-in, to them ultimately winning the Flagg sweepstakes with just a 1.8% odds. To me this is the ultimate storyline of the 2024–25 NBA season and it’s what I’ll remember it for in 10 years time. In the words of the genius Nico himself, “fortune favours the bold”.

2) The Cinderella Pacers go all the way, just to fall short

I recently heard Bill Simmons discuss that this years playoffs are the rare occasion that you remember the team who didn’t win over the actual champion. And with all due respect to the Thunder, I agree. The only other time this is applicable to me is the 2018 finals. When I think of those playoffs I immediately think of LeBron and the Cavs. A 7 game series win versus the Pacers, sweeping the 1-seed Raptors, and then another game 7 series win versus the Celtics. Although they were swept in the finals by the Warriors, that version of LeBron, getting a bucket every time he wanted to whether it was for him or a teammate, is what comes to mind when I think of the 2018 playoffs. This year is no different.

From the incredible comebacks to the game winners. This run will be unforgettable. It’s so unfortunate that it ended the way it did, such a tragedy. Every series had one improbable comeback that ended in a Haliburton game winner. Witnessing all of them was a true blessing. Teams like this Pacers team is why we watch sports. What I loved most about them was that they were the truest definition of a ‘team’. Selfless, quick passing, ball movement, finding the open player, playing as a unit — not five individual guys. A huge part of that is of course Rick Carlisle who coached an amazing playoffs run.

Overall this Indiana Pacers team was the stuff of legend. They’ll be remembered for decades and are a point of why in modern basketball you need a good team from players 1–13. 2–3 superstars is simply not enough in the modern league. I’m looking at you Phoenix. In the end, it’s a damn shame it came to the conclusion that it did. Truly an all time ‘what if?’ moment the league has ever seen.

3) The Cavs turn into the 2015 Atlanta Hawks

On the 10th anniversary of the Atlanta Hawks winning 60 games, clinching the 1 seed, and ultimately stinking up the joint in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to pay tribute. Not only that, but they one upped them too. They won 64 games (4 more) and lost in the second round instead of at least making it to the Conference Finals like their idols did before them.

In all seriousness, we still mock and talk about that Hawks team ten years on, and I think we’ll do the same for this Cavs team. All year people were unsure about them, saying they cannot get it done come playoff time, and those people were ultimately right. After clinching the first seed, Cleveland coasted to the playoffs and then all of a sudden Mobley, Garland, and Hunter had injuries, all three ultimately missed at least one playoff game. The Cavs role-players Strus and Jerome really came up short in the playoffs, especially against the Pacers. With the East looking so weak for the 2025–26 season, I expect them to run it back with the same group. However, going from regular season juggernaut to playoff bums is always fascinating to watch, and that cloud will hang over them for all of next regular season, no matter how many games they win. All in all, the Cavs historic falloff was a true defining moment of this past season.

4) The New York Knicks are (finally) BACK

I may be a Nets fan, but it’s good for the game of basketball to have the New York Knicks be a competitive team. Plus I get to find joy in their pain when they are inevitably eliminated from the playoffs. After not making the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the Knicks finally made it back. Not only that, but they also had a great regular season, dethroned the reigning champs in the playoffs, and have great team for the foreseeable future.

Bolstered by their star point guard, Jalen Brunson, this Knicks team has finally given the city of New York something to cheer about. They have one of the best starting five lineups in the league and I can only imagine that they will be better next year as this previous season was just their first playing together. Now they will have a new head coach, a questionable decision if you ask me, especially given how the front office clearly had no backup plan other than asking to interview Jason Kidd. However, I expect this team to be back again next year. If I had to pick right now, I would go with New York or Cleveland to make it out of the East.

Now although it’s great to root against them, it has been fun seeing competitive playoff basketball games played at Madison Square Garden again. The crowd is energetic and celeb row is always fun, even though a few of the celebrities had previously repped Brooklyn. I’m looking at you Joey Bada$$ and Jason Sudeikis.

5) The start of a potential dynasty in OKC?

Now I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but there might be a dynasty brewing in Oklahoma City. This incredible 68 win season which ended in a game 7 win in the NBA Finals may just be the beginning. However, there’s just as much chance that this was it for OKC. When Milwaukee won in 2021, we all thought they would be right back. The same for Denver in 2023. I personally believed that Boston’s championship last year was just the start of something for them. Now at least two seasons will go by without silverware for the Celtics, given this Tatum injury.

My point is, the NBA is so unpredictable. Just 4 seasons ago the Bucks, Nets, 76ers, Hawks, Jazz, Clippers, Suns, and Nuggets were the final eight teams remaining in the playoffs. This season, seven of those teams didn’t win a playoff series, and five of them didn’t even make the playoffs. On the other hand, the bottom three teams that season in the West were the Rockets, Thunder, and Timberwolves. Those three teams have the best odds to win the West in 2025–26. This league is so unpredictable and volatile, it’s impossible to say who’s going to be good in five years. Hell, the Mavs traded Luka — nothing is off the table.

The Thunder could face salary cap issues, miss on draft picks, lose free agents, suffer injuries and this title is the peak of their run together. Or they could stay together, splurge the money, nail the draft and this title is the first of “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five”… you get my point. What I’m trying to say is of all the teams to win post Warriors repeat in ‘17-’18, this Thunder team has the best chance to go win another one. In 10 years time we will look back at this team and either wonder how they didn’t win more (much like the Thunder teams of the early 2010s), or we’ll look back on them like how we look back at the 2014–15 Warriors — just the beginning stages of something incredible.

6) An all time MVP battle

For this last spot, I was torn between the MVP race and the god awful 76ers. As you can see, I decided to stay positive. This was my favourite MVP race since Giannis versus LeBron in 2020. Plus this one was a lot closer in the eventual polling. You had a Serbian big man drafted in the second round, against a Canadian bucket getter who was traded on draft night and then again right after his rookie year. Foreign underdog versus foreign underdog. Tremendous stuff.

Whether it was Jokic carrying his team with memorable performances such as the 60 point triple-double against Minnesota or the NBA’s first ever 30/20/20 game against the Suns. Or watching Shai lead his young team with consistent performances every night, no matter who from their lineup was injured/missing. This year we were blessed with some all time performances from two players who are sure to go down as two all time greats. When I look back at this year, I’ll never forget this MVP race, much like LeBron/Giannis in 2020, Harden/LeBron in 2018, and Russ/Harden/Kawhi in 2017.

Let me know down below what you thought of my choices for the most memorable moments of the 2024–25 NBA season. In 10 years time, what will you remember most about this past season?