The NBA has unveiled its marquee matchups for the upcoming season, highlighted by LeBron James’s highly anticipated debut with the Philadelphia 76ers against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on opening night, October 20.
James, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia in July, will face his former Cleveland Cavaliers—the team he led to a 2016 title—in his first home game on October 22.
The league’s “signature” game release also confirms a Christmas Day showdown, with James returning to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers.
Opening night’s doubleheader includes the Boston Celtics hosting the Detroit Pistons followed by a Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The Christmas Day slate begins with an NBA Finals rematch pitting San Antonio against the Knicks, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Miami Heat visiting the Celtics.
The league also announced that Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will face the New Orleans Pelicans in Paris this January, with the same two teams later meeting in Manchester, England, for the first NBA game at Co-op Live Arena.
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