The NBA officially unveiled the entire schedule for the 2024-25 regular season on Thursday. Only 80 of each team's 82 games were announced, as the last two games will be determined based on their performance in group play of the NBA Cup. But everything else is now set in stone, including the matchups for opening night, the slate of Christmas Day games, and key meetings between rivalries both old and new.
Opening night of the 2024-25 season will be on Oct. 22, with the regular season concluding on April 13. The NBA Cup group stage -- which was previously named the In-Season Tournament -- will start on Nov. 12 and will continue every Tuesday and Friday through Dec. 3. The semifinals and championship game for the NBA Cup will be on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17. All-Star Weekend is set for Feb. 14-16 in San Francisco, with the Play-In Tournament slated for April 15-18. The playoffs will begin on April 19.
Here's other notes on the NBA schedule release:
- Klay Thompson will make his return to the Bay Area to play against the Golden State Warriors for the first time on Nov. 12 as part of the NBA Cup group play.
- The NBA Finals rematch between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will take place on Jan. 25 at TD Garden.
- Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, will debut on Oct. 23 at home against the Brooklyn Nets.
- Paul George will return to play the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time since joining the 76ers on Nov. 6.
- The top two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, Risacher and Alex Starr will face off for the first time on Oct. 28.
- For the first time in six years, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will not play in a Christmas Day game.
Opening night
- New York Knicks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
Christmas Day
- San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, 12 p.m. ET
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET
- Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 5 p.m. ET
- Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. ET
- Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m. ET
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Fourteen teams will compete on MLK Jr. Day on Jan. 20, with three of those matchups being nationally televised.
- Dallas Mavericks at Charlotte Hornets, 12 p.m. ET
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies, 2:30 p.m. ET
- Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors, 5 p.m. ET
Rivalry Week
For the third season, Rivalry Week will be returning to the NBA calendar. There will be 10 nationally televised games showcasing both classic and budding rivalries across the league between Jan. 21-Jan. 25.
- Jan. 21: New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Jan. 21: Philadelphia 76ers at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
- Jan. 22: Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Jan. 22: Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m. ET
- Jan. 23: Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Jan. 23: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
- Jan. 24: New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
- Jan. 25: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 3 p.m. ET
- Jan. 25: Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. ET
- Jan. 25: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m. ET
Key dates
- Sept. 24: Media day for Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets
- Sept. 25: First day of training camp for Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets
- Sept. 30: Media days for the remaining 28 teams
- Oct. 1: First day of training camp for remaining 28 teams
- Oct. 4 & 6: NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 (Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets)
- Oct. 6: NBA Canada Series (Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards)
- Oct. 12-13: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend
- Oct. 18: Preseason concludes
- Oct. 22: Opening night of the 2024-25 regular season
- Nov. 2: NBA Mexico City Game (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
- Nov. 12: Emirates NBA Cup Group Stage begins
- Dec. 3: Emirates NBA Cup Group Stage concludes
- Dec. 10-11: Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals
- Dec. 14: Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals
- Dec. 17: Emirates NBA Cup Championship
- Dec. 25: Christmas Day
- Jan. 23 & 25: NBA Paris Games (San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers)
- Feb. 6: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
- Feb. 14-16: NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco
- April 13: NBA regular season ends
- April 15-18: NBA Play-In Tournament
- April 19: NBA Playoffs begin
