After a summer spent promoting the game around the world, the NBA focus returns to the North American hardwood this week and the start of a new season that will present challenges on and off the court.

With the world caught in the grip of a financial crisis, NBA team owners and league officials will be watching the balance sheet as closely as the standings when the season starts today with the Boston Celtics opening the defence of their crown against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A hugely entertaining Beijing Olympic tournament dominated by NBA talent and an equally successful package of pre-season games staged before sell-out crowds in Europe and Asia helped increase the league's popularity.

It is the home fans, however, that teams will be counting on to see them through tough times.

The Celtics, led by their big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, again appear as the class of the Eastern Conference while long-time rivals the Los Angeles Lakers, anchored by league MVP Kobe Bryant, look the best of the West.

"The confidence has grown from winning a championship," Pierce told NBA.com. "The guys love that feeling.

"For us to do it again would be a hell of an accomplishment because a Celtics team hasn't done it in 40 years."

Boston has not won back-to-back titles since beating the Lakers in 1969 and the path back to the finals will be blocked by several daunting hurdles, the biggest likely to be James and the Cavaliers.

James, who averaged a league best 30 points a game last season, has blossomed into the NBA's most complete talent.

Cavalier Contenders

In a pre-season poll, NBA general managers tipped James to claim NBA most valuable player honours and with the help of new point guard Mo Williams the Cavaliers could celebrate a first championship title as well.

The Toronto Raptors also look to be a factor in the East, landing a potent one-two punch by acquiring big man Jermaine O'Neal from the Indiana Pacers and pairing him with all-star power forward Chris Bosh.

After losing out in the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year, Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars threatened a shakeup, sacking coach Flip Saunders and replacing him with Michael Curry.

But there were few other changes in the Motor City, Dumars sticking with the same aging core group of Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace who helped the Pistons to the 2004 NBA.

In the West, the Lakers' acquisition of Spanish centre Pau Gasol late last season took some of the heat off Bryant and helped spark a run to the finals.

This year the Lakers will be counting on the return of Andrew Bynum, who missed a large part of last season and the playoffs with a knee injury, to provide a similar lift.

There will be no shortage of contenders lining up to take a run at the Lakers.

The San Antonio Spurs will field a familiar and imposing line-up, led by former MVP Tim Duncan while the Houston Rockets look ready to take off behind a healthy Yao Ming.

Germany's Dirk Nowitzki is back to lead the Dallas Mavericks while the Phoenix Suns will look to former MVPs Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal to get them to the finals.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 28, 2008)