NBA Starting 5, June 27
– and the one behind it is already cooking.
June 27, 2025
29 players had their names called to begin their NBA journey
Matching with mom, Green Room hugs and “That’s my boy!”
From a perfect season, to freshman standouts, to four first-rounders
Fresh fits, fresh faces and potential hidden gems
Relive the 2025 Playoffs with an all-access look at history
The 2025 Draft is in the books…
The 59 newest NBA players will suit up for the first time in NBA 2K26 Summer League, which will run from July 10-20 in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for the full schedule, but the opening night doubleheader is set.
tips off on July 10 with No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and the Mavs facing the Lakers (8 ET), followed by No. 2 pick Dylan Harper and the Spurs taking on No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers (10 ET).
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30 players had their NBA dreams fulfilled when their names were called in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
those dreams lasted just one more sleep.
the 2025 Draft resumed from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with more prospects waiting in anticipation for their name to be called, ready to take the next step in their NBA journey. | Round 2 Takeaways | Full Draft Results
of the second round with 14 of the 29 players selected being traded on Draft night as teams were wheeling and dealing to land the prospects they targeted.
Whether players are selected in the first or second round, the realization of a lifelong dream and the emotions that carries remain the same.
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The 2024-25 season marked the fourth straight to feature at least 120 international players – tying the record with 125. With another 22 international players selected in this year’s Draft – 11 in each round – expect that trend to continue.
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ever since I started picking up a basketball,” said Johni Broome on being drafted. “Now, it’s more like a dream come true.”
and missing pieces, more dreams were realized Thursday night, from Broome – the SEC Player of the Year – to proud grandparents.
aren’t just about the players – they’re also about family. Perhaps no prospect embodied that more than Javon Small, who turned his walk across the stage into a celebration of the people who helped get him there.
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Small’s family moment was just one highlight in a two-night Draft filled with joy, pride and raw emotion.
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Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, Asa Newell and Liam McNeeley suited up together, they were closing out a 33-0 season with Montverde Academy to win the 2024 high school national championship.
to Wednesday night, and they were suited up again – this time at the NBA Draft, each hearing their names called in the first round.
Montverde Academy isn’t your average high school – it’s a prep powerhouse with a long history of producing NBA talent.
it also produced four first-rounders (Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Moses Moody, Day’Ron Sharpe), a feat only matched by three college programs since 2010 – Kentucky (3x), UNC and Duke.
– and the level of competition behind it – is part of what drew Flagg, Queen, Newell and McNeeley to Montverde in the first place.
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came great sacrifice. Not one of the four stars averaged 15+ ppg in their last two years at Montverde – but they completed their perfect senior season with a 30+ ppg average victory margin.
helped them thrive on stacked college rosters – and propelled them to first-round selections.
going to Montverde Academy,” said Newell earlier this week. “The sacrifices are paying off.”
the four high school teammates will begin their NBA journeys on different teams – but their bond remains unbreakable.
brought more fresh talent, new stories and a slew of potential steals.
a few of our favorite portraits from some Round 2 standouts
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
Steve Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images
15 series. 84 games. 4 Game 7s.
of the first round until the confetti rained down from the rafters and the champagne sprayed in the locker room after Game 7 of the Finals, the NBA’s all-access cameras were on the scene to capture every must-see moment of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
– the NBA’s docuseries chronicling the postseason for a third straight year – was the perfect title when describing the 2025 Playoffs.
from start to finish.
- 19 games this Playoffs were decided by three points or less – tied for the 4th most in a single postseason in NBA history
- For the first time in league history, a different team has been crowned champion in each of the past seven seasons
put on a show in the Finals, capping off the postseason with the 20th ever Game 7 to decide a champion.
it actually is a movie.
series with a 67-minute feature packed with behind-the-scenes access and all the unforgettable moments on the court.
The Thunder led Game 1 for only 0.3 seconds thanks to Haliburton’s record fourth game-winning or game-tying bucket in the final five seconds of the Playoffs.
on the ABC broadcast: “He’s not afraid of the moment. He is the moment.”
JDub’s Moment: Jalen Williams got his first taste of the Finals in 2023, serving as an NBA player correspondent following his rookie season.
Two years later, he played a starring role in the 2025 Finals, dropping a Playoff career-high 40 points to lift OKC to a 3-2 lead.
Champion Crowned, Respect Earned: The series culminated in Game 7, which saw the Thunder pull away in the 2nd half, while the Pacers played the final three quarters without their star after Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles late in the 1st quarter.
After the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paused his celebration to check on Haliburton in the visitors locker room. It was a sign of sportsmanship and mutual respect after the two All-NBA stars battled on the court for seven games.
