Ahead of the NBA's Opening Night tip-off, ESPN celebrated the start of the season with a hype video that takes inspiration from the trailer for the upcoming MCU movie Avengers: Doomsday.

ESPN posted the hype video early on the morning of Opening Night. It opens with the Marvel Studios logo being overtaken by NBA on ESPN, and a dramatic monologue begins over a montage of players.

“Something's coming,” Robert Downey Jr. ominously says as Doctor Doom from the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, as the reigning champion New York Knicks are shown. “Something we may not be able to deter.”

Hoopsday has arrived.

NBA basketball is back ⌛️ pic.twitter.com/ENy8r2YEBA

— ESPN (@espn) October 20, 2026

It then cuts to LeBron James in his Philadelphia 76ers threads as Chris Hemsworth's Thor says, “I've fought with many warriors in my time that were far stronger than all of us put together, and they died. They died facing enemies and threats that scared me far less than this one.”

Article Continues Below

Some of LeBron's past rivals, such as Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Victor Wembanyama, are then shown. All roads lead back to the champions.

The Knicks are painted as the looming threat all 29 other teams are trying to dethrone. One of the coolest moments is when Thor says, “Put aside your petty squabbles.” Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid, who are now teammates on the Sixers, are shown when they were on opposing teams. Now, they are on the same squad with the same goal.

At the end of the day, teams are going to “need a miracle” to dethrone the Knicks. The video concludes with the LeBron-led 76ers at their Media Day photoshoot. It's all smiles now, but things will get real on Opening Night. The Sixers open their season by visiting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks will be raising their championship banner before tip-off.