The 2024-2025 NBA regular season was one for the history books, filled with unforgettable moments, record-breaking feats, and surprising trades that kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout its 82-game stretch.
Among the season's most talked-about events were Luka Doncic’s shocking trade, Nikola Jokic’s historic performance, LeBron James continuing to break records, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s emergence as the league’s top scorer.
The season also saw rising teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder make waves, securing one of the most dominant regular-season records in recent history.
In one of the most stunning moves of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
The February 2nd trade sent shockwaves through the NBA, as the Mavericks parted ways with one of the league's brightest young stars.
Doncic, last year’s scoring champion, wasted no time making his mark, finishing the season with impressive averages of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.
Led by Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, the Lakers finished third in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record, setting the stage for an exciting playoff run.
Nikola Jokic, already one of the NBA’s brightest stars, made history this season with an extraordinary triple-double average.
The Serbian big man became only the third player in NBA history, following Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, to average a triple-double over a full season.
Jokic, a three-time MVP, posted 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, becoming the first player since the 1969-70 season to rank in the top three in points, rebounds, and assists in a single season.
At 40 years old, LeBron James continued to redefine longevity in professional sports.
He became the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 career points (regular season and playoffs combined). James also set a new all-time record by being selected as an All-Star for the 21st time.
Notably, James joined Michael Jordan as the only players to score 40 or more points in a game after turning 40.
Additionally, James became the first player in NBA history to record multiple triple-doubles after the age of 40.
Alongside his son, Bronny James, LeBron made history as the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the scoring title for the 2024-25 season.
Engaged in a tight MVP race with Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander posted stellar numbers of 32.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, solidifying his place among the league’s elite.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished with the league's best regular-season record, posting an impressive 68-14. Under head coach Mark Daigneault, the Thunder, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference.
Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein also contributed to the team’s success, with Williams averaging 21.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, Holmgren adding 15 points and 8 rebounds, and Hartenstein posting 11.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
On the other hand, Alperen Şengün’s standout season for the Houston Rockets (19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds) helped secure the second seed in the West with a 52-30 record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished atop the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record, propelled by standout performances from Donovan Mitchell (24 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5 assists) and key contributions from Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
Meanwhile, the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, earned the second seed in the East with a 61-21 record, as Jayson Tatum (26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Jaylen Brown (22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists) led the team’s charge into the playoffs.
