Greg Bodine’s hands quivered and his voice trembled. A cluster of his bottom eyelashes temporarily supported a teardrop before it cascaded down his cheek and onto his caddie bib.

Bryson DeChambeau — Bodine’s boss of 13 months — had just won the U.S. Open for the second time. Bodine had just become a major championship-winning caddie. There was obvious emotion surrounding the result as the 36-year-old looper fielded questions from a small group of reporters on Pinehurst’s 18th green, while DeChambeau accepted his trophy.

DeChambeau raised the reclaimed piece of hardware over his head. What club did Bryson hit for the winning bunker shot? The crowd erupted. Did you say anything to him before the round? DeChambeau went off on his victory lap. How did Bryson get his game to this point?

Standard stuff, the questions asked immediately to every caddie whose player has just won a trophy. Then: “How are you feeling?”

Bodine let out a deep exhale. He dipped his head and stared at the putting surface upon which the small group stood. A long pause. “So, there’s a backstory,” Bodine said, his mind going back 13 months to the day DeChambeau hired him. The tears — they were flowing now.

“The day that Bryson called,” Bodine said. “My wife and I found out that she had a miscarriage. We were actually at the hospital when Bryson called me.”

Caddying never really felt like a job for Bodine.

He played golf competitively growing up, and in high school, he already had his sights set on carrying the bag for his cousin, Andrew Putnam, a promising young player in the Seattle area, once he started his pursuit of professional golf. That dream became a reality and then it quickly snowballed into a career. In 2014, two years after first looping for Putnam at PGA Tour Q-School, Bodine, known as “G-Bo” on tour, secured then-rookie Tony Finau’s bag.

He stuck with the now six-time tour winner for nearly seven years. He accompanied Finau to his rise to the top 10 in the world before they parted ways in 2020. Why? The pair simply wasn’t winning together. Bodine had a young family back at home — his sons, Brooks and Parker, were 3 and 1 years old at the time, respectively. Kelsey, Bodine’s wife, had her hands full with the two boys. Finau was playing 30 to 35 weeks a year, and the tournaments that made the gig worth it were becoming rare. It was time for a change. It was time for Bodine to think about coming home.

The @nelkboys turned Bryson’s own caddie against him… pic.twitter.com/qlpJclTVLM

— Crushers GC (@Crushers_GC) February 19, 2024

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After a short stint caddying for Patrick Rodgers, Bodine knew what he wanted to do. He returned to Kirkland, Wash., to pursue a different dream, one that took some time to settle into. In March of 2021, the Pacific Northwest native returned to his pre-caddying existence — normal, simple family life — and set out to launch an indoor golf facility called Evergreen Golf Club. Bodine dedicated a large chunk of his caddie earnings to the business and pitched it to investors, including his co-founder, former Seahawks player Jermaine Kearse. By the winter of 2022, the company was off and running.

“I had a handful of people reach out to ask me to come back and caddie, on the PGA Tour and on LIV,” Bodine says. “But I was committed to getting Evergreen off the ground.”

Once that was done and Evergreen was running smoothly, Bodine could start to direct his full focus toward what had really drawn him away from life on tour: his family. Kelsey was pregnant with their third child.

“Being back home, one thing that we were looking forward to was growing our family and starting that next chapter,” Bodine says. “My wife was pregnant. She was in her second trimester. We told a handful of people and we were getting close to finding out the gender.”

One evening in early May of 2023, Kelsey knew something was wrong with the baby — very wrong. They booked an appointment that night for first thing the next day. That morning, before gathering their things and departing for the hospital, Bodine picked up an incoming call on his iPhone. He was greeted by the voice of Brett Falkhoff, DeChambeau’s agent, on the other line.

“Bryson’s making a caddie change, and he’s interested in hearing what you’re up to,” Falkhoff said. “OK if he gives you call?”

Without much thought, Bodine obliged. He was surprised by the inquiry, but not shocked. DeChambeau had been playing on the LIV tour for almost a year and he hadn’t seen much success. Falkoff described DeChambeau’s game as “rock bottom” during the brief call, Bodine said. When looping for Finau on the PGA Tour, they’d been paired with DeChambeau frequently and always got along.

But all of the thoughts, memories and wonders provoked by the call flashed through Bodine’s brain with little permanence. He couldn’t think about caddying. The call with Falkoff quickly slipped his mind.

At the hospital, Kelsey was taken into a private room where she underwent test after test. Bodine sat in the hallway, anxiously waiting for his wife to emerge with some semblance of hopeful news — a glimmer of hope for their child. That’s when Bodine saw his phone flash with another incoming call: Bryson DeChambeau.

“I didn’t tell him what was going on, he probably just thought I was sitting at my work or at my house or something,” Bodine says.

The pair caught up for a few minutes, the conversation spanning from the state of DeChambeau’s game to Bodine’s experience caddying in events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. It flowed well — they seemed to be on the same page. So they said goodbyes, agreeing to call each other back and reconnect later in the day. Still Bodine gave DeChambeau no indication of his whereabouts, his family situation, or his emotional distress.

As the hours went by, the test results began to come in. The Bodines’ worst nightmare had come true.

“Can you be in Tulsa in four days?” DeChambeau asked nonchalantly over the phone later that evening.

Bodine didn’t know how to respond. He had entertained the call with DeChambeau not knowing if it would end in a caddying job, let alone one that started in four days — four days after the miscarriage. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. So were Kelsey’s.

“Can I have a day to think about it?”

Bodine and his wife couldn’t make the decision on their own — it was too hard to even think. So they turned to family. They sat down for breakfast with his parents and dinner with hers. They approached close friends and mentors. They trusted their circle with the impossible task of processing a career-changing opportunity while they remained stunned with shock and grief. The LIV tournament could serve as a much-needed distraction, even if the job didn’t work out. But could Bodine handle it? Was the family prepared for this? Is this a good thing? They turned to faith.

“The night before, before anything suspicious was going on with Kelsey’s body, I never thought I would caddie again, and I thought we were having a third child that fall,” Bodine said. “I’m a very faith-driven guy, so I kind of took it as God telling us that this is a door opening, and that was a door closing.”

DeChambeau has been on a run in the majors since Bodine took over caddie duties. (Warren Little / Getty Images)

Everyone was on board, so long as everyone was going to Tulsa. Brooks’ sixth birthday was that week, and Bodine wasn’t spending it without him. Parker was coming along too. The family of four — plus Bodine’s mother — packed up their stuff and booked their flights to Oklahoma and set out on their new, unexpected chapter.

“You look at your kids, and weeks like that will remind you how precious they are.”

DeChambeau was struggling on LIV — badly. He was consistently finishing outside of the top 20 in 48-man events. His best result on LIV so far was a tie for 16th place.

Meanwhile, Bodine was running on pure adrenaline. He readjusted to the physical burdens of caddying and DeChambeau’s playing style by day, and by night, the family celebrated Brooks’ birthday at the hotel pool and the pizza joint across the street. No one in the group could have predicted their week would look like this. But it did. And it was something to be grateful for. They attempted, accepting intermittent success, to smile through the pain.

That week in Tulsa, with Bodine on his bag, DeChambeau finished in a tie for fifth, shooting 12-under-par to take home a $703,333 paycheck. With the standard 7 percent caddie fee, it’s safe to say Bodine had a good first tournament, too. Something was clicking.

The family headed home to Seattle that Sunday evening, but DeChambeau and Bodine took off for Rochester, N.Y., for the PGA Championship.

At the first major of the season, DeChambeau was one stroke back heading into the back nine on Sunday at Oak Hill. He ended the tournament in a tie for fourth place, his best finish in a major since his 2020 U.S. Open win at Winged Foot. That week, Bodine carried the bag, got his yardage numbers and read greens, but his heart was elsewhere. Kelsey was back home and recovering.

The next week, DeChambeau had more success: a top-10 finish at LIV’s D.C. event. Two weeks later DeChambeau posted a top 20 at the U.S. Open at LACC. The run continued. The unretired caddie carried on.

“Those first few months I was able to do it and get away with it,” Bodine said. “Bryson was there to play golf. I didn’t want pity or anything. I’ve told him that I’m always going to be ready to be his biggest cheerleader, but there was a lot going on.”

Bodine needed a cheerleader of his own.

It was early evening in Hertfordshire, England. Bodine walked, alone, down the first few holes of the Centurion Club, preparing his yardage book for the LIV event that coming weekend. DeChambeau had nearly won last week’s event in Spain, and The Open was fast approaching: Bodine had work to do. He decided to go out onto the course and get a head start on his preparation for the week.

By the fifth hole, it all became too much. Standing on his own in the middle of the empty fairway, Bodine fell apart.

He called home, to Kelsey.

“I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be here right now,” Bodine told her.

The feelings were coming, always there during their frequent phone calls when Bodine was on the road. “We’d often spend nights trying to help each other through this whole thing,” he said.

His next call was to DeChambeau.

“I don’t think I can be here right now.”

DeChambeau knew what Kelsey and Bodine had been battling the last six weeks, but until that point, he hadn’t seen what kind of shape Bodine was really in. The caddie who did not miss a week in seven years with Finau caught a flight home to Seattle the next day, and DeChambeau found fill-ins for the tournament.

“Bryson knew the surface layer, but I’m pretty good at showing up to work. As a caddie, you can’t really have everyone feel sorry for you. Your job is to be an enabler and to lift your player up. I completely hit a wall after Spain. I told him I wouldn’t be doing this unless I thought it was absolutely necessary,” Bodine said.

When Bodine got back to Kelsey and the boys, he decided it was best for him to stay in Seattle for The Open, too. He had to press pause. He didn’t know if he’d ever caddie again. Nothing else mattered. Nothing except home. Bodine started going to therapy to address the anxiety he was feeling in the wake of the miscarriage, and he worked through his emotions to unpack the source of his reaction. He sat on his back porch with Kelsey for more than a few late-night talks. DeChambeau checked in every couple of days. He spent time with the boys and got back into a routine.

Three weeks passed, and he was still mentally fried. But it was time for a decision: A two-week stretch of domestic LIV events were coming up, with LIV Greenbrier in West Virginia being the first. DeChambeau wanted Bodine to come back. Kelsey was once again supportive. There was still a solid chance Bodine thought he might end up flying home on the Tuesday of the tournament. His parents agreed to tag along for the trip. It was worth a shot.

Bodine returned to DeChambeau’s bag in time for the latter’s 58 at Greenbrier last year. (Eakin Howard / Getty Images)

Thirteen birdies.

With Bodine on the bag, in the pouring rain, DeChambeau made 13 birdies — and one bogey — to shoot a historic 58 during the Sunday round of LIV Greenbrier. He came from behind and won his first event on LIV by six shots, leaping into the air when the final birdie putt dropped.

Bodine stood nearby, an umbrella resting on his shoulder as he watched in disbelief, a grin forming between his ears. The pair are back this week as LIV returns to the West Virginia resort.

“I looked around and I was like, I’m still mentally drained, and I still don’t know where life is going to take me, but I knew I had made the right decisions,” Bodine said. “I made the right decision to go home from the U.K, and the right decision to come back for Greenbrier. With how everything went on the course, with Bryson winning, it just felt like a large sense of gratification and thankfulness.”

It was the same overwhelming wave of emotion Bodine felt on the 18th green at Pinehurst No. 2.

There were too many moments over the past 13 months when Bodine had just held it together, whether that was to be a good husband or father or caddie. If he learned anything from this ongoing process of healing, it was to trust. Trust that life will work itself out. Trust the circle around you. Trust that sometimes, it’s OK to just let go.

“It’s been a battle,” Bodine said, “But I knew I was there for a reason. I knew that’s where I was supposed to be.”

(Top photo of Bryson DeChambeau, left, and Greg Bodine: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

I’ll admit I had my doubts the NBA could do it again. Ultimately, I knew my favorite league would come through, and guess what? It did. The NBA released another 82-game regular-season schedule for all 30 teams, proving the doubters wrong. The scheduling is done, the flights and hotels are getting booked, and we’re circling the physical paper calendar once again for the big games we want to see.

The in-season tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, will begin Nov. 12. Remember to get your eyes checked before they once again throw down those special court designs. As for now, we have 35 games on the schedule I’m looking forward to the most, so I ask that you take note of these games! (Inevitably, I probably left a good matchup or two off this list. I promise I left it out because I hate your favorite team. Still, toss the games you’re most looking forward to watching in the comments.)

(Editor’s note: All times Eastern; national TV info listed when applicable but subject to change.)

The spicy matchups

First Western Conference finals rematch: Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, TNT

This wasn’t quite the conference finals we thought we were getting when the Mavericks returned to that round for the first time since 2021 and the Wolves did so for the first time since 2004 (!). But we still saw some pretty competitive games and epic performances to begin this series. That was before Luka Dončić put the Wolves away in an absurd Game 5 performance. Anthony Edwards and company will get their first chance at revenge in this one, and these two teams should be vying for the Western crown once again. Along with a bunch of other teams in the loaded conference.

First Eastern Conference finals rematch: Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m. Oct. 30, TNT

This wasn’t exactly a great series, with the Celtics busting out the brooms on the Pacers. Three of those four games were pretty close, though. The Pacers hopefully get a fully healthy squad in this matchup, and they get to prove they weren’t some random conference finals appearance fluke like the Hawks back in 2021. The Pacers are ahead of schedule, and they get a full training camp with Pascal Siakam to get everybody on the same page. If they take this game, we could see that as a real confidence boost against the defending champs.

Sixers visit New York: Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks, 7 p.m. Feb. 26, ESPN

The 76ers and the Knicks had a hate-fueled first-round matchup this past postseason. I don’t know if it was full of hatred for the Knicks and the Sixers players, necessarily. But I know Sixers Twitter hated the Knicks in this one. Also, the Knicks’ Twitter base has grown to truly despise Joel Embiid. Knicks fans I know were rooting for him to do poorly for Team USA while hoping it won the gold. It’s running that deep. The two teams meet Nov. 12 and Jan. 15 in Philly, but this will be the renewal of a fun rivalry in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

Indiana visits New York: Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25, ESPN

The other side of the Knicks rivalry in the East comes from their second-round series against the Pacers. Indiana won a Game 7 at MSG against a battered New York squad. The Knicks want to show off their Nova Knicks against the Pacers, who also will be healthy during this rematch (we hope). The Knicks have one of the most fascinating rosters and rotations in the league after acquiring Mikal Bridges. They want to show the Pacers they own them, and that all of those Reggie Miller highlights and trash talk from the past are meaningless.

NBA Finals rematch: Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. Jan. 25, ABC

About half of the 2024 NBA Finals matchup was competitive, and the Celtics did what they accomplished all season long — dominance en route to a championship. Now, the Mavericks get a chance alongside Klay Thompson alongside Dončić and Kyrie Irving. Dallas gets to measure back up against Boston, and the Celtics get to prove once again nobody can handle them when they’re clicking. This should be a very fun rematch, and the two teams face off again in Boston a couple weeks later (Feb. 6).

First TiredGate: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. Nov. 1, ESPN

All of the excuses for the Denver Nuggets, following them blowing a 3-2 series lead and a Game 7 at home against the Wolves, involved how tired they must have been during their failed championship defense. The Nuggets completely collapsed as the Wolves found their way to the third round of the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. Now, this Nuggets squad is without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and depth could be even worse for them if the young guys don’t step up. Meanwhile, the Wolves are out to prove their ascension last season wasn’t a fluke and they can be even better. Minnesota and Denver usually have some pretty fun battles.

Let’s Try This Again: Washington Wizards at Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18

Last year, I greatly anticipated the return of Jordan Poole to the Bay Area in a battle with the Warriors and Draymond Green. There are rumors I even predicted Poole would lead the league in scoring, but we don’t need to investigate those. Poole had 25 points on 21 shots in an 11-point loss at Golden State. Maybe this time it can be a better performance? Maybe I’ll predict Poole to lead the league in scoring for the rest of my life until he does it? Maybe Green’s random acts of aggression will happen in this game again?

Familiar faces in new places

Paul George returns to LA: Philadelphia 76ers at LA Clippers, 10 p.m. Nov. 6, ESPN

They wouldn’t give him the full max. Now, George is going to return to try to give the Clippers hell. George spent five seasons with the Clippers, but they never quite got it right or were fully healthy enough to get it right to make a run at a title. They had one courtesy appearance in the conference finals, but injuries meant they weren’t really going to win. He’s going to try to reverse the 76ers’ fortunes of not being able to compete for a title so far. I’m expecting a good reception for PG from the new Intuit Dome. Hopefully Kawhi Leonard is healthy enough to play against him that night.

Klay Thompson returns to the Bay: Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. Nov. 12, TNT

This is going to be emotional. It still seems wild to think about Thompson in a non-Warriors uniform. He’s a Maverick now, and we’re going to see how he manages his emotions in a return to the Chase Center. He won four rings with the Warriors, and they loved him as much as they loved anybody. The fans will go nuts, and the Warriors will give him a fantastic return. If we’re lucky, he and Stephen Curry will both go for 10-plus 3-pointers in the same game. This is going to be a big return. Don’t miss it.

Chris Paul returns to the Bay: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. April 9

I’m serious! You can dismiss this because Paul only played one season with the Warriors, they didn’t make the playoffs and he missed 24 games. But you’re missing the underlying subtext of this return. When we dig beneath the surface, we get to unearth the comfort zone for Paul and the Warriors. They love to hate each other! The Warriors never liked him when he was on the Clippers and Rockets. He’s hated the Warriors for keeping him from competing for a title time after time. They get to go back to openly being enemies. This is the sweet spot of hatred and pettiness.

#FireBud returns to Milwaukee: Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks, 8 p.m. April 1

Remember Mike Budenholzer coaching the Bucks? He coached them to a championship in 2021 and often survived rumors and online petitions for Milwaukee to fire him. Eventually, he got the boot. He took a year, watched Milwaukee go through two coaches in one season and now returns at the helm of the underperforming Suns. If he can get them on the same page, they’ll be crazy dangerous. Milwaukee will give Bud a great ovation in this one.

DeMar DeRozan returns to Chicago: Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls, 3:30 p.m. Jan. 12

I don’t think this is going to be an emotional return. DeRozan spent three seasons with the Bulls, played excellent individual basketball and constantly had the task of trying to drag the franchise to victories. The Bulls mostly struggled due to injuries while DeRozan only missed 17 games in three seasons. They also had just one playoff appearance. I’d still expect Bulls fans to be appreciative of the heroics he often displayed in fourth quarters. This will probably be an ugly game.

Dejounte Murray returns to Atlanta: New Orleans Pelicans at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2

Just two seasons for Dejounte Murray in Atlanta, and they were weird, disappointing ones. He was there to help provide defense and turn the Hawks back into the team that made the conference finals in 2021. They never came close to that, but did finish one of the seasons at 41-41. And there was a little bit of a spirited playoff series against Boston two years ago. Murray quickly got dealt because he wasn’t the solution they wanted for what they gave up. The Hawks are still searching for answers, but I can’t imagine there is ill will on either side. Hawks fans will give him a solid ovation.

Mikal Bridges returns to Brooklyn: New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, TNT

This might be the one time a tanking Nets team is relevant this season, outside of Cam Thomas trying to go for 50 points every night. And I’m not even sure this will be much of a reunion, nor will it be much of a game. The Nets are looking to be bad. The Knicks are looking to be great. And this will be a blowout. It’s also just a short ride across town to get from Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center, so it’s not some big journey back.

Russell Westbrook returns to L.A.: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. Nov. 23, NBATV

Ha! You thought I was going to highlight his return to the Clippers since that’s where he last played and revived his career in a complementary role? You fools! Let’s get messier with this one. I’m more interested in Westbrook adding the extra layer of the Nuggets and Lakers battling it out. The Lakers believing they’re so close to solving the problems that Denver presents and Denver still handling business against them constantly.

James Wiseman returns to the Bay: Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. Dec. 23 NBATV

I’m just making sure you’re still paying attention with this one. Did you scroll this far down? Keep going! There’s good stuff below! Also, did you remember Wiseman signed with the Pacers? I put that up there with trying to remember that Tobias Harris is back with the Detroit Pistons.

Fun team showdowns

Western titans: Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. Dec. 31, NBATV

This should be an extremely fun and intriguing matchup, like we saw last season. This is the first of four matchups between the teams. You have two of the biggest young stars facing off in Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And they pretty much have the exact same role for their respective teams.

You have a loaded Thunder team that is mostly based on perimeter-oriented flexibility, but it did bring in Isaiah Hartenstein to beef up the interior. And had I not opted for the Wiseman return joke above, he probably makes the list for return games when he goes back to New York.

The Wolves are built on having size for the interior surrounding their star guard. This matchup is a fun juxtaposition of different ways to build out a hopeful contender.

Knicks-Celtics games should be an event, led by stars such as Jalen Brunson and Jaylen Brown. (Bob DeChiara / USA Today)

Eastern titans: New York Knicks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, TNT

We thought we were getting this in the Eastern Conference finals in May. Then the Pacers decided to ruin that. This Celtics team is so good and so dominant, and it has so much firepower on the perimeter. The Knicks have incredible perimeter defenders and a lot of potential scoring with their team chemistry. Maybe this is a preview of the battle for the East when we get to the postseason. The Knicks want to prove they can win the conference and contend for the title. The Celtics want to prove nobody can compete with them.

NorCal supremacy: Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m. Jan. 22, ESPN

Is this still a thing? I kind of feel like it’s a thing. I chose the Kings for the home team in this one because I love a road opponent trying to prevent the beam getting lit, but note that Sacramento visits Golden State two weeks before on Jan. 5. If the Kings win at home, I love the pageantry of lighting the beam. The Kings and Warriors have had some fun battles in the last two seasons. The Kings seem to be on their way up while the Warriors are battling to not be on their way out. You get Curry and De’Aaron Fox. You get Green and Domantas Sabonis. If Kings fans really want to troll Warriors fans, they can say Sacramento is part of the Bay Area. There’s a lot that can happen.

Florida supremacy: Orlando Magic at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23

Speaking of one team on the way up and one team on the way down, look at this fun matchup. Orlando had a brilliant 2023-24 season and is looking to capitalize on it and build more. The Heat had an extremely disappointing season in which Jimmy Butler wasn’t around for the playoffs and #HeatCulture got questioned for the first time in a long time. Would you want to win Florida if you’re in a battle for it? Probably not. But it’s fun to say you’re the best basketball team in the state.

This is still fun: New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m. Nov. 29, NBATV

I still believe in the Pelicans and the Grizzlies. I still believe in Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. Both teams have a great opportunity to make the West feel uncomfortable playing against them. The Pelicans had a great season that was cut short by Williamson’s health failing them in the last moment. The Grizzlies had a throwaway season because of Morant’s suspension and injury. We should get a lot of fireworks in this one, and it’s always fun to see the Memphis crowd go nuts.

Play-In positioning? Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m. Oct. 26

We’ve seen some fun battling already between Victor Wembanyama and Alperen Şengün. The Rockets and the Spurs have a lot of good, budding talent on their rosters. The Spurs want to prove they can make the leap to Play-In worthy in their second season with Wembanyama. The Rockets want to prove last year wasn’t a fluke and they’re ready to make the postseason, and not just the Play-In. You have Chris Paul going against his old Rockets franchise. Give me all four games of this matchup this season. We’ll see three of them in the first two weeks.

Finals preview? Boston Celtics at Oklahoma City Thunder, 3:30 p.m. Jan. 5

It could be! I firmly believe the Thunder made the Alex Caruso trade to be more like the defending champion Celtics. They brought in Hartenstein to give them rebounding and interior presence. And it makes them the total package in trying to win the West and take the crown from Boston. The Celtics are unquestionably the kings of the East, and it’ll be really tough to take them down. They should be back in the finals if they’re healthy or even relatively healthy. Both times we get this matchup this year, we should see incendiary basketball.

Fun player showdowns for us

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry:  Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. Dec. 25, ABC

We just saw how fun it is for them to be on the same team. Now, the gold-medal-winning Olympians are back to being opponents, and we don’t have many of these left. I know that sentiment sounds incredibly corny. That’s because it is! But that doesn’t make it any less true. Curry and James have played against each other 23 times in the regular season and 28 times in the playoffs. We’ll get another four times this season, and we should relish all of them.

Nikola Jokić vs. Joel Embiid: Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31, ESPN

I felt like I had to put the Philadelphia home game down because Embiid doesn’t play in the Denver games (this season’s is Jan. 21, by the way). The Joker and Embiid have played eight times in their careers, and six of them came in Philly. The two games in Denver happened in 2016 and 2019. Embiid has put up some monster games against Jokić recently with 41 and 47 points, respectively, in the last two games. And I’d love to see Embiid try to do that in Denver. We just have to take what we can get when we can get these two kaijus on the court.

Victor Wembanyama vs. Chet Holmgren: San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. Oct. 30, ESPN

Get ready for a lot of looking-forward-to-Wemby matchups. This one is pretty obvious because it feels like Wembanyama and Holmgren want to destroy each other on the court. They’ve had some big plays against each other. They have comic book-like wingspans and reaches. Wemby had a couple of impressive games against Holmgren last season. Holmgren went 2-1 against Wemby. Let’s hope the Spurs can keep up with the Thunder a bit more in their matchups so we can see these two really go at it in the fourth quarter.

Victor Wembanyama vs. Joel Embiid: San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. Dec. 23, NBATV

Wembanyama and Embiid played once last season. Embiid dropped 70 on the Spurs. Wembanyama dropped 33 in that game, but Embiid more than doubled it. Zach Collins caught a lot of those 70 points, but Wembanyama still couldn’t help enough or stop Embiid enough from that historic showdown. We’ll see this time around if the second-year phenom can have better luck or the Spurs can have a better plan against the former MVP.

Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić battle for a rebound last season. (Scott Wachter / USA Today)

Victor Wembanyama vs. Nikola Jokić: San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 9 p.m. Jan. 3

Wembanyama went 1-3 against the Nuggets last season while averaging 24 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 4.3 assists. He also shot just 37.6 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from deep in those four games. Jokić averaged a ridiculous (even for him) 33.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and eight assists with a 66.4 percent true shooting mark. The final game of the year between the two had the Spurs winning behind a monster performance from Wembanyama, and it ultimately kept the Nuggets from getting the No. 1 seed.

Anthony Davis vs. Domantas Sabonis: Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. Oct. 26, NBATV

This is a reminder that Davis has never won an NBA game against Sabonis. It’s one of the weirdest streaks out there. Sabonis is 10-0 against Davis, dating to when Sabonis was on OKC and Davis was still in New Orleans. In four of those 10 games, Davis has made fewer than 40 percent of his shots, including the last three matchups. The Kings and the Lakers are already battling for positioning in the West, and they have a bit of a history against each other. This adds extra spice to these games.

Rookie showdowns

Vive la France: Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28

We’ve never had two French players go in the first two picks in the draft … until 2024! Zaccharie Risacher was the first pick by the Hawks, and Alex Sarr was the second pick by the Wizards. They’ll get to face off for the first of four times pretty earlier in the season.

UConn reunion: Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs, 8 p.m. Nov. 7

Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle are coming off an NCAA championship victory together. Now? They’re mortal enemies! Or just on different teams! Either way, the fourth pick in the draft (Castle) will face his former teammate, the seventh pick in the draft (Clingan), and we may see Dan Hurley there if the Lakers Huskies aren’t playing that night.

Kentucky reunion: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m. Nov. 26

Remember that Wildcats backcourt of Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard? If you didn’t start watching the NCAA Tournament until the second round, then you probably don’t. Both guys were picked in the top eight in the draft, and they’re both going to be backups for their respective teams this season unless injuries hit. Hopefully we’ll get a fun moment of Sheppard and Dillingham running their respective second units with some fireworks on display.

Family affair: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. Dec. 3

Did you know OKC’s Jalen Williams has a brother who was drafted 10th by the Jazz? Meet Cody Williams! He was one of my favorite prospects in the draft and, when these teams have a showdown, we’ll likely get some good court time between the two. Sure, it will probably be a rout with how good the Thunder are, but that’s not the point. We want to see family moments like it’s a “Fast and the Furious” movie!

G League Ignite Memorial: Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m. Nov. 18

The G League Ignite was an experiment that produced some pretty solid pros but unfortunately has been sent to a farm up north due to the ever-changing landscape of college sports in the NIL era. Two of the last prospects to play for Ignite were teammates Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland. In this matchup, their first of the season, Holland and Buzelis will be the final two lottery picks from the Ignite team to have a battle on the court.

NCAA title game reunion: Memphis Grizzlies at Portland Trail Blazers, 9 p.m. Nov. 10

Clingan has more than just his reunion with Castle to consider. The 2024 NCAA championship game involved him battling even bigger man Zach Edey from Purdue, who was picked ninth in the draft by the Grizzlies. These two rather large rookies will get a chance to battle in the paint once again. Will either try to fit into the modern NBA and shoot some jumpers? Tune in to find out!

(Top photo of Anthony Edwards and Luka Dončić: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)

Following an underwhelming Copa America as the host nation this summer and with a men’s World Cup to be played mostly on home soil two years away, the USMNT needed to go big in replacing Gregg Berhalter as head coach.

Consider their statement made.

There is a strong argument to say Mauricio Pochettino will become the most distinguished coach in the history of the United States men’s soccer team when he puts pen to paper. Across 649 games in the biggest competitions in the European club game since 2009 — including 45 in the UEFA Champions League, one of which was in its final — the 52-year-old Argentinian has built a wealth of experience, his bio weighty enough to become the face of the USA’s all-important 2026 World Cup campaign.

But reputation aside, what can USMNT fans expect from a Pochettino team? And is his appointment a good tactical fit for the current generation of American players?

Ever since Gregg Berhalter first took over almost six years ago, the shadow of the men’s World Cup being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026 loomed large. An objective at the heart of his tenure was to integrate young talent into the senior national team, with prospects such as Christian Pulisic (above, right), Tyler Adams and Sergino Dest establishing themselves in the side under his leadership.

There was a feeling that group was approaching its collective peak ahead of this summer’s Copa America, also played on U.S. soil, but while the debate rages on around the relative quality of the ‘golden generation’ of American players at Berhalter’s disposal, there is no doubt they underperformed. Defeat to Panama in their second of three group-stage matches may have hinged on an early red card for Tim Weah, but there was a worrying lack of creativity and forward drive from midfield, in a team seemingly still too reliant on Pulisic for moments of attacking inspiration.

The good news is that Pochettino is renowned for his work with younger players, and he should relish the opportunity to develop the squad he’ll inherit, with plenty of enthusiasm and exciting, versatile options in different areas of the pitch. Players including Folarin Balogun, 23, Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah, both 21, will appeal to Pochettino — players with star power, but also with something to prove.

Pochettino’s preference for working with young players is a deep-rooted belief that stems from his own formative years when Marcelo Bielsa — later his manager at Spain’s Espanyol and with the Argentine national team — handed him an early chance at Newell’s Old Boys club in their homeland, along with several other promising players who went on to make a major impact in the first team.

He also believes that it’s difficult to change the mentality or habits of more seasoned veterans who are sometimes unable to adjust to his methods. Pochettino seems wary of allowing a couple of big names to dominate a dressing room — remember, this is a man who lined up alongside both Argentina icon Diego Maradona and Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho in his playing days.

Pulisic carries status and reputation, but doesn’t dominate to a detrimental extent. Pochettino disliked working with a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side from January 2021 to summer 2022, with big-name forward trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe undermining his focus on the team’s cohesion without the ball.

In that respect, the profile of this USMNT squad, in terms of their ages and characters, seems likely to suit him, with plenty of time to form relationships with the players ahead of that World Cup in just under two years.

Pochettino took Tottenham to their first-ever Champions League final in 2019 (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

Tactically speaking, Pochettino is renowned for a high-pressing ideology, something that he prefers a young squad for, insisting that it’s not about physical capacity but how much players are prepared to run.

To explore his style further, we can look at The Athletic’s playstyle wheel, using his solitary season in charge of Chelsea to outline how his team looked to play compared with Europe’s top seven domestic leagues. Those defensive metrics stand out, with their rating of 89 out of 99 for Intensity speaking to the front-footed nature of their press.

A rating of 96 for Central Progression points to a desire to build attacks carefully and patiently through the middle — something that will suit the technical players at the heart of the USMNT midfield. While many failed to hit their rhythm in the three games at the Copa America, Pochettino will have plenty to work with in that part of the pitch.

Adams, 25, brings unrivalled defensive tenacity at the base of the three-man midfield setup, and is a talented ball progressor who can pick out incisive passes to the more advanced No 8s, while 22-year-old Johnny Cardoso is a strong tackler who is a similarly natural tempo-setter from deep. The technical ability and versatility of Weston McKennie, 25, proved invaluable to Berhalter across the final years of his tenure, while Reyna provided real forward drive and fearlessness from a more advanced position as the USA won the CONCACAF Nations League in March this year.

Throw in the ball-carrying ability of Musah, the devilish late runs of Luca de la Torre, 26, even the creativity and weight of pass of Malik Tillman, 22, and there are plenty of options for Pochettino to chop and change.

Pochettino will have plenty of talent to utilise in America (Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Less encouraging from the playstyle wheel above will be a rating of 32 for Chance Prevention. Chelsea’s tally of 77 league goals scored last season was their third-highest in the past 15 years, but it came at a considerable cost, as they shipped more league goals (63) than in any other season since the Premier League was founded in the early 1990s.

As unglamorous as it may sound, international football is grounded in having strong defensive foundations first and Pochettino did not showcase that in his most recent spell in the dugout.

Such shortcomings would naturally put more focus on the individual quality of the back line and goalkeeper; areas where the States’ current roster has its problems. Goalkeeper Matt Turner barely played for his Premier League club Nottingham Forest last season and his kicking and distribution were at times questionable during the Copa America. Of the other options at the position, Ethan Horvath, of Cardiff City in English football’s second-tier Championship, is a step down in quality again and conceded a poor goal when he came on after Turner was injured in that match against Panama.

Matt Turner had a disappointing time at this summer’s Copa America (Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Then there is a shortage of obvious candidates to replace centre-back Tim Ream, who turns 37 in October, plus doubts over the strength in depth that exists behind him and the other current starter at that position, Chris Richards.

Pochettino’s possession game will have to exert more control if they are to sufficiently mask that weakness on the biggest stage.

Ultimately, international soccer is a tricky arena to navigate. With plenty of time between sets of games, and a disproportionate share of straight-knockout, ‘do-or-die’ matches, ambitious projects can be reduced to individual results, years of work washed away in a few minutes of action.

It makes such managerial dismissals as Berhalter’s — and, indeed, appointments like Pochettino’s — difficult to evaluate; the “perfect” candidate nearly impossible to find. But for a squad as young as the one the U.S. currently has, with the eyes of the world set to be fixed firmly on them in two years’ time, a high-profile name like him certainly brings the experience and know-how required, even if this is his first venture into the international game as a coach.

Golden generations don’t last forever.

At the very minimum, Pochettino will bring a welcome dose of belief and expertise to this one.

Additional reporting: Michael Cox and Mark Carey

(Top photos: Getty Images)