The few times I changed the channel from the World Series on Wednesday night, it was the NBA I was after. The first night of a full-on attack of basketball was highlighted by marquee matchups in the Western Conference. Ultimately, it became hard to stray away from the Association, which is in a great time period, featuring a stout rookie class and a prime mixture of future Hall-of-Famers standing their ground while new players stake their claim.

The game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers was the best example. While both teams are in rebuilding phases, both have franchise players from the 2000s who refuse to move over for the new guys. It was demonstrated perfectly when Kevin Garnett received a technical foul for some verbal jousting with Julius Randle. No surprise there, The Big Ticket was doing just what he's done for the past 20 seasons. But Randle held his ground. Harldy a second-year man, playing in just his second NBA game, Randle wasn't taking the slack from the future Hall-of-Famer. In fact, he even had a little something to give back to KG, pulling the old Calvin Cambridge on an inbounds play. 

And that is what will make the 2015-2016 NBA season so amazing. Players like Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce-all on their last leg-want one more shot at the crown before passing the torch.

Meanwhile, the past two draft classes have featured headlining talent that could change the future of franchises. Youngsters like Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, and Karl-Anthony Towns are finding ways to make a name for themselves. 

Wiggins was named Rookie of the Year last year, while Randle and Jabari Parker missed significant time due to injury and will qualify for the award this season. Towns, the first overall selection in the 2015 Draft, began his rookie campaign with a 14-point, 12-rebound performance against the Lakers. Okafor, who was selected third by the Philadelphia 76ers, dropped a team-high 26 points in his debut, while securing seven rebounds against the Boston Celtics. He did, however, commit eight turnovers, which is often the struggle among rookies.

Regardless, there are some high-flying, big-bodied NBA freshman and sophomores who will be on watch throughout the course of the season. A healthy mix of new and old will be the recipe for success for teams who hope to knock off the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

It is teams like the Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Clippers who have benefited from the emergence of the NBA's next stars. Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Blake Griffin are among many stars who are in the prime of their 20s. Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Jimmy Butler are part of that group of players who have performed at All-Star levels the past several seasons. They are the new faces of the NBA and their experience and achievements have boosted them to prominence. They are seasoned enough to have earned the respect of aging veterans, while the newcomers of the NBA begin to look up to them.

So it is the healthy blend of diversified players among all age groups that will make this NBA season so exciting. As we begin the one week of the year when all four major sports are in action, the NBA can stake its claim as it captures an audience that will soon hitch a ride for the entirety of the 2015-2016 season.