The NBA released the full schedule for the 2026-27 regular season on Aug. 13, highlighted by the Philadelphia 76ers, who will make 34 appearances on national television.
The 76ers' uptick in national exposure is a direct result of their offseason moves, including acquiring All-Star guard Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and signing LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, to a two-year deal. Philadelphia will begin its quest for its first championship since 1983 when it takes on the defending champions, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20.
That game is part of an opening-day triple-header, previously announced, with the Celtics taking on the Detroit Pistons in the afternoon, and the Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to cap off the night.
Other schedule highlights
There are no games on Nov. 3, which is Election Day in the United States, but all 30 teams will play the day before.
Other key dates include the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Championship taking place at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Dec. 11 and the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 11.
The All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The regular season ends April 11, with all 30 NBA teams in action.
Outside of Christmas Day, for the first time, four NBA regular-season games will be televised on national broadcast networks in a single day. The first instance will be Jan. 30, with additional quadrupleheaders on Feb. 28, March 7, and March 14, which will feature two doubleheaders each broadcast by ABC and NBC.
Teams will average 14.2 back-to-backs, a slight decrease from 14.4 last season.
Reunions
LeBron James
Along with the Christmas matchup with the Lakers, James will also visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 6 and March 1 and the Miami Heat on Jan. 30 and April 8.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The two-time MVP returns to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Jan. 28.
Jaylen Brown
The five-time All-Star returns to Boston to face the Celtics with the 76ers on Jan. 21.
Christmas Day games
(all times Eastern)
- San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks, 12 p.m.
- Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m.
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m.
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
- Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m.
Martin Luther King Day games
- Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers, 12 p.m.
- Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks, 2:30 p.m.
- Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks, 5 p.m.
- Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m.
President's Day games
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets, 12 p.m.
- Philadelphia 76ers at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m.
- San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat, 5 p.m.
- Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors, 7:30 p.m.
International Games
- Nov. 7: Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers, Mexico City Arena (Arena CDMX), Mexico City, Mexico
- Jan. 14, 2027: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Accor Arena, Paris, France, 2 p.m.
- Jan. 17, 2027: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Co-op Live, Manchester, England, 10:30 a.m.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks, 76ers, Spurs take spotlight as NBA releases 2026-27 schedule