The 2025-26 NBA schedule is slowly starting to roll out ahead of the full official release on Thursday. On Tuesday morning, fans got some more important dates to circle on the basketball calendar. We already knew the two opening night games, as the Thunder will start their title defense against the Rockets, and the Lakers will tip their season off against the Warriors on Oct. 21. The Christmas Day games have also already been unveiled with a full slate of five games featuring the league’s top stars, headlined by a Lakers vs. Rockets showdown that will pit Kevin Durant against LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
We’ll know every team’s schedule on Thursday, but on Tuesday NBC and Disney unveiled some marquee games that will be nationally televised. NBC is returning as a broadcast partner for the first time since 2002, and will get the first games of the season with an opening night doubleheader where the Thunder will raise their first championship banner and receive their 2025 title rings. NBC will also be home to the All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Saturday night and will air one of the conference finals in six of the 11 years of the new television deal.
We’ll know all of the details about that on Thursday. Until then, here’s everything we know so far about the 2025-26 NBA schedule release. All games streaming on ABC, ESPN and NBC are available on Fubo (Start watching and save $20 now!).
Opening night
Oct. 21, 2025
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets | 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
- Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers | 10 p.m. ET | NBC/Peacock
Opening week
Oct. 22, 2025
Oct. 23, 2025
Oct 27, 2025
- Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 7 p.m. ET | Peacock
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets | 9:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
Christmas Day
Dec. 25, 2025
- New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | 12 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/Fubo
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs | 2:30 pm. ET | ABC/ESPN/Fubo
- Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks | 5 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/Fubo
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets | 8 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/Fubo
- Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | 10:30 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN/Fubo
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 19, 2026
