The 2026-27 NBA season officially tipped off this week, and one person who is already thrilled with what he saw is former NBA player turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins. Appearing on the the ‘Pat McAfee Show,’ Perkins gave a big shoutout to NBA commissioner Adam Silver for what he feels like will be one of the best regular season’s in league history.

“Shoutout to Adam Silver. This is about to be one of the best NBA seasons we’ve seen in the last two years,” Perkins said. “We literally have 20-25 teams that literally actually feel like they could win the NBA championship. The talent is spread and it’s equal now. And when you think about who is going to be the next champ, who is going to come out victorious, who is going to be hoisting a trophy at the end of this season, to be honest, I don’t know.”

While Kendrick Perkins might be overexaggerating with his claim that 20-25 teams could possibly win the title this NBA season, the year is certainly shaping up to be competitive and intriguing.

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A couple of new contenders have sprouted up in both conferences. While the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and potentially the Denver Nuggets can lay claim to be contenders, the Minnesota Timberwolves, with their new backcourt of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, want to be in the conversation. There’s also the question of the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

In the East, the New York Knicks are the team to beat until proven otherwise, while the Philadelphia 76ers, fresh off a summer retool, have vaulted themselves into the conversation. There’s still the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, and the Toronto Raptors got a boost in bringing Kawhi Leonard back.