{"id":65496,"date":"2025-08-13T16:30:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T16:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/65496\/"},"modified":"2025-08-13T16:30:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T16:30:10","slug":"2025-26-opening-night-christmas-day-and-mlk-day-schedules-unveiled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/65496\/","title":{"rendered":"2025-26 Opening Night, Christmas Day and MLK Day schedules unveiled"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster tipped off Tuesday on \u201cGood Morning America\u201d and \u201cThe TODAY Show\u201d with the unveiling of the must-see Opening Night doubleheader and MLK Day slate on NBC, as well as another star-studded NBA on Christmas Day on ABC & ESPN and more. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the release of Amazon\u2019s game schedule on Prime Video for the 2025-26 regular season will be announced along with the complete Group Play schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup 2025. <\/p>\n

Lastly, later in the week, the entire 2025-26 regular season schedule will be unveiled.<\/p>\n

> Opening Night on NBC (Tuesday, Oct. 21)<\/p>\n

The TODAY Show reveals 2025-26 NBA schedule for Opening Night, MLK Day and more as part of the NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster.<\/p>\n

As announced on \u201cThe TODAY Show,\u201d the 80th NBA season tips off on Oct. 21 on NBC in the same place last season ended \u2013 Oklahoma City \u2013 as reigning Kia MVP and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder raise the 2024-25 championship banner and receive their championship rings before hosting Kevin Durant and the new-look Rockets.<\/p>\n

The Opening Night doubleheader \u2014 featuring the NBA on NBC for the first time in more than two decades \u2014 concludes with the latest chapter in the LeBron James-Stephen Curry rivalry as the two icons meet for the 57th time in their careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

History will also be made as James becomes the first player in history to play a 23rd NBA season, while teammate Luka Don\u010di\u0107 plays in his first season opener with the Lakers.<\/p>\n

Game on. \ud83c\udfae NBA Tip-Off, October 21st on NBC and Peacock. pic.twitter.com\/AALohb2D0a<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) August 12, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Following those games, the opening week of the season continues with a pair of ESPN doubleheaders featuring title contenders, rising stars, former MVPs and a 2025 Finals rematch.<\/p>\n

> Opening Week on ESPN (Wednesday, Oct. 22)<\/p>\n

Malika Andrews joins Good Morning America to reveal the 2025-26 NBA schedule for Opening Week on ESPN as part of the NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster.<\/p>\n

The NBA on ESPN campaign debuts with All-Star guards meeting at Madison Square Garden as Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers visit Jalen Brunson and the Knicks in a clash of teams that finished first and third, respectively, in the Eastern Conference last season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Then, the top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft<\/a>, Dallas\u2019 Cooper Flagg (No. 1) and San Antonio\u2019s Dylan Harper (No. 2), make their professional debuts against each other in a game that also features the return of 2023 No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama. His All-Star second season was cut short due to a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.<\/p>\n

> Opening Week on ESPN (Thursday, Oct. 23)<\/p>\n

Exactly four months and one day after the Thunder defeated the Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals<\/a> to win the first NBA title of the OKC era, the teams will meet again on the third night of the new season.<\/p>\n

That clash is followed by a pair of former champions and multi-time Kia MVPs<\/a> \u2013 Curry and Denver\u2019s Nikola Joki\u0107 \u2013 squaring off in the Bay as both players and teams eye another title run.<\/p>\n

In addition to games broadcast on NBC television, this season will also feature several games available exclusively on Peacock \u2013 NBC\u2019s streaming platform \u2013 beginning with a doubleheader during the season\u2019s opening week.<\/p>\n

> Peacock Exclusives (Monday, Oct. 27)<\/p>\n

The first NBA game on Peacock features the Pistons hosting the Cavs in an Eastern Conference clash. The last time these teams met in March, Detroit had a statement win \u2014 snapping a 12-game losing streak to Cleveland and locking in Detroit\u2019s first winning season since 2016. Which team will make an early-season statement this time around?<\/p>\n

In the nightcap, a rivalry born in the 2024 playoffs renews when Minnesota hosts Denver. Anthony Edwards\u2019 Wolves have won six straight against Joki\u0107\u2019s Nuggets \u2014 a run that began with Games 6 & 7 in the 2024 Western Conference semifinals<\/a> and continued with a regular-season sweep last year. Can the Wolves keep their streak alive or will the new-look Nuggets have an answer?<\/p>\n

As announced on \u201cGood Morning America,\u201d the NBA continues its tradition of playing games on Christmas Day with five marquee matchups on ABC & ESPN for the 78th edition of holiday hoops.<\/p>\n

> NBA on Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25, ABC & ESPN)
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

No team has appeared in more Christmas Day games (57) and has more Christmas Day wins (25, tied with the Lakers) than the Knicks. They will host the Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden to tip off this year\u2019s slate of holiday games.<\/p>\n

Next up, the defending champion Thunder host Wembanyama and the Spurs in Oklahoma City\u2019s first Christmas Day game since 2018. The action continues to head West as Golden State appears in its 13th straight Christmas Day game when it hosts Klay Thompson and the Mavs.<\/p>\n

In primetime, the top two active scorers in NBA history \u2014 James, the No. 1 all-time leading scorer, and No. 8 Kevin Durant \u2014 meet for their 44th head-to-head matchup and fifth on Christmas Day. Then, the holiday hoops marathon ends in Denver with another round in the growing Wolves-Nuggets rivalry.<\/p>\n

Another full day of NBA basketball comes your way on Monday, Jan. 19, with the 40th edition of the NBA on MLK Day, featuring four matchups on NBC & Peacock.<\/p>\n

> MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, NBC & Peacock)
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

The MLK Day slate begins on Peacock with an Eastern Conference matchup between two teams that shook up their rosters<\/a> in the offseason \u2014 Milwaukee added Myles Turner while moving on from Damian Lillard, while Atlanta added Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.<\/p>\n

The NBC tripleheader tips off in Cleveland, where last season\u2019s No. 1 seeds \u2014 the Cavs in the East and the Thunder in the West \u2014 retake the spotlight after facing off in two of last season\u2019s most highly anticipated regular-season matchups.<\/p>\n

In a season of firsts for this year\u2019s No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg will play his first NBA game at Madison Square Garden when Dallas visits New York on MLK Day.<\/p>\n

A season ago, Cade Cunningham and the Pistons pulled off one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in league history. Now, as they look to keep ascending, they\u2019ll face a perennial playoff team and title contender when Jaylen Brown and the Celtics come to Motown to close out the holiday slate.<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster continues over the week as dates and opponents for 80 of each team\u2019s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents as part of the Emirates NBA Cup, will be revealed.<\/p>\n