NBA Opening Night fixtures announced
Thunder host the Houston Rockets followed by Golden State Warriors visiting the Los Angeles Lakers
This is the 80th NBA season
The Oklahoma City Thunder wrapped up the 2024-25 season by winning the NBA title on their home court.
They will open the 2025-26 NBA regular season by raising their championship banner in front of their home fans.
The 80th NBA season tips off on October 21, with the Thunder hosting the Houston Rockets, followed by the Golden State Warriors visiting the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA officially announced its season openers, Christmas Day matchups and Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule on Tuesday. Some NBA Cup games will be revealed on Wednesday and 80 of the 82 games for all teams will be released on Thursday, with the remaining two games for each team being determined in December based on how they fare in the NBA Cup.
One day after the season opens, the NBA features another stellar doubleheader with the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the New York Knicks and Victor Wembanyama set to make his return for San Antonio Spurs against the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg.
On Day 3 of the season on October 23, another standout doubleheader features an NBA Finals rematch with the Thunder visiting the Indiana Pacers, followed by the Warriors hosting the Denver Nuggets.
The defending Eastern Conference-champion Pacers, who lost Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles tear and Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, didn't make the coveted Christmas Day schedule, however.
Christmas begins with the Cavaliers visiting the Knicks, the Spurs at the Thunder, the Mavericks visiting the Warriors, the Rockets at the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Nuggets.
It will be the first time the Cavs and Thunder are playing on Christmas since 2018, while it will be the Knicks' 58th time playing on Christmas, extending their NBA record.
As long as he's not injured, James will be playing on Christmas for the 20th time, and this will be his record 23rd NBA season.
This season's MLK Day schedule features four games, with the Bucks visiting the Atlanta Hawks, the Thunder visiting the Cavaliers, the Mavs facing the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and the Boston Celtics at the Detroit Pistons on January 19.
