NBA's 2025-26 season commences on October 21st, featuring a highly-anticipated match-up between LeBron James and Kevin Durant on Christmas day.
2025-26 NBA Season Kicks Off with Exciting Christmas Day Games
The 2025-26 NBA season is set to begin on October 21, and the festivities will continue on Christmas Day with a series of highly-anticipated matchups. Here's a rundown of the five games scheduled for December 25:
- Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
- San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
- Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets
These games will be nationally broadcast, featuring key matchups such as Donovan Mitchell's Cavaliers visiting the Knicks and Victor Wembanyama's Spurs playing the Thunder. The Lakers vs. Rockets game, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant, is expected to be a prime-time highlight. The day concludes with the Nuggets facing the Timberwolves in a Pacific Northwest showdown.
Notably, the NBA has scheduled Durant and the Rockets to square off against James, Luka Doncic, and the Lakers on Christmas day. The San Antonio Spurs will also make their return to the NBA circuit on this special day.
Interestingly, it is extremely rare for a team to win the Eastern Conference and reach the NBA Finals but not feature on either of the Christmas Day games. Unfortunately, the Boston Celtics, who have fallen off this season, won't be involved in any of these games.
The Houston Rockets will open the season by traveling to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder, a game that was considered a Christmas Day snub last season despite the Thunder earning the West's top seed in the 2023-24 season. The Indiana Pacers, who have Tyrese Haliburton on their roster, may feel aggrieved about not being included in the Christmas Day games due to Haliburton's injury.
The Pacers and Knicks have renewed their rivalry, with their Eastern Conference Finals battle being particularly enticing. The Timberwolves and Nuggets, who have a thrilling rivalry, will also face off on Christmas Day, following a seven-game battle in the 2024 postseason.
Stephen Curry will be going up against LeBron James in the second game of the night, as the Warriors travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers. Curry will also be part of the action on December 25 as the Warriors take on Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and the Dallas Mavericks.
All Christmas Day games will air on ABC and ESPN, with NBC hosting the opening night of this upcoming NBA season. Make sure to mark your calendars for these exciting matchups!
- The 2025-26 NBA season's Christmas Day games feature a highly-anticipated matchup between the Lakers and the Rockets, with LeBron James and Kevin Durant squaring off.
- The NBA has scheduled Durant and the Rockets to play against James' Lakers on Christmas day, marking Durant's return to the NBA circuit with the Spurs.
- Christmas Day games in the 2025-26 NBA season will also include the thrilling rivalry between the Timberwolves and Nuggets, following their seven-game battle in the 2024 postseason.
