NBA announces Christmas Day, some opening week games

The NBA apparently wasn’t going to wait for the full schedule release to start generating some buzz.

And putting LeBron James back in Los Angeles on Christmas Day ought to do it.

The league announced its opening-week and Christmas Day schedules Tuesday, with James and the new-look 76ers visiting the Lakers at 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 25.

It will be Philadelphia’s only road game against Los Angeles next season and, barring an earlier preseason meeting, James’ first game back in L.A. since leaving the Lakers for the Sixers.

Here’s the full Christmas slate:

Friday, Dec. 25

• Spurs at Knicks, noon ET
• Heat at Celtics, 2:30 p.m.
• 76ers at Lakers, 5 p.m.
• Thunder at Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
• Nuggets at Warriors, 10:30 p.m.

The opener is a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals between Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs and defending champion Knicks.

Meanwhile, the regular season will begin Tuesday, Oct. 20, with something new: an opening-day tripleheader. All three will air on NBC.

Tuesday, Oct. 20

• Celtics at Pistons, 3 p.m.
• 76ers at Knicks, 7 p.m.
• Thunder at Spurs, 9:30 p.m.

The league also announced six national-TV games for the remainder of opening week:

Wednesday, Oct. 21

• Timberwolves at Heat, 7:30 p.m.
• Warriors at Lakers, 10 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22

• Cavaliers at 76ers, 7 p.m.
• Nuggets at Thunder, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23

• Knicks at Celtics, 7 p.m.
• Rockets at Spurs, 9:30 p.m.

That Thursday game gives Cleveland an early look at James and Jaylen Brown in Philadelphia.

The NBA Cup schedule comes Wednesday, followed by the entire 2026-27 regular-season schedule Thursday.