The NBA postseason is about to begin, promising to bring us unforgettable moments and outstanding performances on basketball`s grandest stage.
However, the 2025 NBA regular season was also full of remarkable and entertaining events, all captured and shared across social media.
Here`s a look back at the NBA regular season of this year, as seen through the internet.
OCTOBER
The season began with a bang as the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, raised their 18th championship banner at TD Garden. They followed this up with a dominant opening night performance, tying an NBA record by sinking 29 three-pointers in a victory over the New York Knicks.
October also saw rookies making their debuts. The LA Clippers` Intuit Dome opened its doors for its first regular-season game, hosting the Clippers` season opener against the Phoenix Suns. Despite Phoenix winning, Kevin Durant was very complimentary about the new arena.
Halloween brought creative costumes throughout the league, but the Charlotte Hornets took the holiday spirit a step further. Their social media team set up a prank with a clown outside a doorway as players walked by, resulting in a viral video of LaMelo Ball getting seriously scared.
NOVEMBER
The Detroit Pistons documented a unique travel experience. With the New York City Marathon shutting down streets on the same day the Pistons were scheduled to play the Brooklyn Nets, the team resorted to the city subway to reach the arena.
November also marked the beginning of several emotional returns of star players to their former teams. Klay Thompson played his first game at Golden State as a Dallas Mavericks player. The Warriors honored their former “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry with a giveaway of Warriors-themed captain hats, a nod to Thompson`s habit of sailing across the bay to home games.
DECEMBER
The holiday season was filled with memorable moments in the NBA, with Ja Morant`s incredible two-handed reverse dunk against the Celtics standing out. This dunk was particularly noteworthy because just a week prior, Morant, known for his highlight-reel plays, had mentioned he was trying to avoid dunking going forward.
Christmas Day is always a highlight for NBA fans, and this year`s games did not disappoint. The best game of the day was a thrilling contest between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, which went down to the wire. After the Lakers secured the win, LeBron James had a message for the NFL, which also had games on Christmas.
Victor Wembanyama made the most of the San Antonio Spurs` visit to New York. In addition to helping the Spurs beat the Brooklyn Nets, the rookie center visited Washington Square Park to engage in another competition: chess. Despite the gloomy weather, a small crowd gathered to watch Wembanyama seek victory off the basketball court.
JANUARY
The new year brought a familiar name back into NBA locker rooms, but this time as a musician rather than a player.
LiAngelo Ball, brother of LaMelo and Lonzo Ball, has been known in basketball circles since their time together at Chino Hills High. He debuted as a music artist with the song “Tweaker” in January, and the track quickly became popular around the league.
The NBA Global Games series continued, and 2025 featured a particularly special edition as the San Antonio Spurs and Wembanyama traveled to Paris to play against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs` long journey from Texas to France, to play in Wembanyama`s home country, generated a lot of entertaining content.
FEBRUARY
February saw two significant trades that sent shockwaves through the league, each with vastly different expectations.
The first major trade occurred early on February 2nd, with the news that the Dallas Mavericks had traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers. The move was met with disbelief by players across the NBA, with Josh Hart offering a succinct reaction.
Days later, Jimmy Butler III was traded to the Warriors, concluding a long-running saga that included humorous social media posts from Kevin Love. Butler also shared his thoughts upon hearing the news of his move to the West Coast.
All-Star Weekend was as entertaining as ever, but one of the most noteworthy moments happened away from the court. Several prominent players, including Morant and 2016 dunk contest winner Zach LaVine, teased the possibility of participating in the dunk contest in the future.
MARCH
March was a month of milestones, with several major stars reaching significant career achievements. LeBron James scored his 50,000th point on March 4th, and Stephen Curry made his 4,000th three-pointer on March 13th.
Over a month after his trade, Jimmy Butler returned to Miami for the first time. The game was unique, considering Butler`s accomplishments with the Heat and the public situation leading to his trade. Butler received a tribute video and a warm welcome from the fans, but described the experience as unemotional.
APRIL
In a much more emotional return, Mavericks fans showed overwhelming love for Luka Doncic during his first game back in Dallas. Doncic was moved to tears watching a tribute video, and received a standing ovation as he left the court after the game.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons, heading towards the postseason, had a moment of tension in their second-to-last regular-season game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo mocked Malik Beasley`s shimmy dance after blocking his shot, which provoked an angry reaction from Beasley. However, when the two teams played again a few days later, it was clear any conflict had been resolved.
