The NBA has started rolling out its 2026-27 schedule, with opening night set for Oct. 20. NBC and Peacock will carry a tripleheader that includes the Knicks raising a championship banner before hosting the Philadelphia 76ers, led by LeBron James.

The schedule also features the league’s traditional Christmas Day slate, with matchups involving the Knicks, Spurs, Heat, Celtics, 76ers, Lakers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Warriors.

According to NBC Sports, October 20 will be the first time a network has broadcast three NBA Tip-Off games in one night.

The Thunder-Spurs Opener and Knicks Banner Night

Opening night begins with Jayson Tatum and the Celtics visiting Cade Cunningham and the Pistons at 3 p.m. ET. The game matches the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference from last season.

At 7 p.m., Madison Square Garden will host a championship banner ceremony, the first in New York in 53 years. NBC will be hoping the same number of fans tune in as the historic NBA Finals, which had the most viewership since 1998.

Adam Silver is set to present rings to Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks before the 76ers take the court. Jaylen Brown is scheduled to make his 76ers debut in the game alongside LeBron.

The combination of LeBron and a championship-winning Knicks is sure to excite viewers. LeBron’s first-ever NBA game, all the way back in 2003 remains one of the most viewed videos on the Sacramento Kings’ YouTube channel.

The tripleheader concludes at 9:30 p.m. ET with the Spurs facing the Thunder. The matchup renews last season’s Western Conference Finals meeting, when San Antonio defeated Oklahoma City. It also features Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Christmas Day Brings the Marquee Matchups

The NBA’s five-game Christmas Day lineup will air on ABC and ESPN. It opens at noon ET with Spurs at Knicks, a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals. Wembanyama will make his lone regular-season appearance at Madison Square Garden.

Miami at Boston follows at 2:30 p.m. ET, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat facing Tatum and the Celtics. At 5 p.m. ET, the 76ers visit the Lakers, bringing James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid to Los Angeles to face Luka Doncic and the Lakers.

The evening games are Thunder at Timberwolves at 8 p.m. ET and Nuggets at Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Thunder-Timberwolves game includes Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, while the nightcap features Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry.

Opening Week and the Schedule Rollout

Opening week places several of the league’s prominent teams and players in nationally televised games, beginning with the Knicks’ banner ceremony and the Thunder-Spurs matchup. Christmas Day then brings a Finals rematch in New York and James’ return to Los Angeles with Philadelphia.

The full 2026-27 schedule is due to be released on Thursday. Until then, the Oct. 20 opener and the five-game Christmas Day slate are among the marquee dates announced for the season.

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