NBA Opening Night Is Loaded: New Teammates, a Banner and an Old Score to Settle

The NBA returns Tuesday, October 20, and the league is giving fans an entire afternoon and night to take stock of a wild offseason. NBC and Peacock will carry three games, starting at 3 p.m. ET when the Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons. Boston arrives with Paul George alongside Jayson Tatum after sending Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia. Detroit gets the first chance to see how that new pairing looks against one of the East’s toughest teams.

The night’s biggest scene comes at Madison Square Garden. At 7 p.m. ET, the New York Knicks will raise their championship banner before hosting a 76ers team featuring LeBron James and Brown alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. James’ Philadelphia debut was already appointment viewing. Putting it on the defending champions’ floor, on the night they celebrate their title, gives the opener some real heat.

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"I felt like I left the gym watching Picasso paint a picture."

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At 9:30 p.m. ET, the San Antonio Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals. Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio have a fresh crack at Oklahoma City, with the previous playoff meeting still close enough for both teams to remember every swing.

Opening night is only the start of the introductions. Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his Miami Heat debut against Minnesota on October 21 after his blockbuster move from Milwaukee. That same evening, Cooper Flagg begins his second NBA season when Dallas visits Houston. Flagg earned Rookie of the Year honors last season, giving the Mavericks another reason to expect a bigger year from him.

Three games, one banner ceremony and several stars in unfamiliar jerseys: the opening slate offers an early look at how much the league changed over one summer.