The full 2025-26 NBA schedule has been released for some time now and the offseason is hitting those dog days of August where there’s not much breaking NBA news to report, so what better time is there to go through this year’s slate of games and determine which matchups are most worth looking forward to and even potentially buying tickets for.
From a season-opening matchup between two generation-defining rivals to a matchup between the two talents who will surely define their own generation, here are five key matchups to circle on your 2025-26 calendar ahead of the upcoming season.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, October 21 (Opening Night, NBC)
In what may be the final season opener of LeBron James’ career, the second game of the league’s opening night doubleheader on NBC will feature a matchup with the one rival who has perhaps had the biggest role in his story in Golden State Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry.
Not only is this another matchup between two stars who have defined their generation of NBA basketball, it will also be a historic moment for the league. When LeBron steps out onto the floor at the Chase Center in San Francisco that late October night, he’ll become the first player to have ever started a 23rd season in the NBA.
Besides that, you never know how many LeBron vs. Curry matchups we even have left. It’s best to cherish each one. Especially one that’s occurring in such a forward-facing moment for the league, as it coincides with the return of one of its most beloved broadcasting partners.
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, November 28 (Prime)
This will be the Mavericks and Lakers’ first meeting since the narrative surrounding Nico Harrison’s decision-making in trading Luka Doncic this past February may have slightly improved after his team improbably won the draft lottery and landed Cooper Flagg.
Perhaps the biggest thing saving Harrison from remaining drenched in the hellfire of NBA Twitter criticism is the fact the Mavericks seem like legit title contenders, while the Lakers team so many people swore he was a double agent for hasn’t shown marked improvement since Harrison metaphorically packed his bags and drove him to DFW Airport.
The other side of that trade also means that this is another reunion between the Lakers and Anthony Davis, whose presence in the Dallas Mavericks’ organization is among the chief reasons they are being considered a 2025-26 title threat. While Luka’s failed relationship with the Mavericks is what drew most of the headlines following that trade, you can bet your bottom dollar that AD feels like he has something to prove as well.
Lastly, this will be the first time we see Flagg and LeBron (Sr.) matchup on an NBA court, so it will be interesting to see if there’s any sort of passing of the torch moment between two of the greatest American prospects of the last 25 years.
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors, December 25 (Christmas Day, ABC)
The highlight of a largely disappointing Christmas Day NBA lineup is undoubtedly the 5:30 p.m. matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks at the Chase Center. To put it simply, this game is storylines galore. Not only will it be No. 1 pick and potentially generational talent Cooper Flagg’s Christmas Day debut, making him the first No. 1 overall pick to play on Christmas Day as a rookie.
It also means that Klay Thompson, one of the most beloved Warriors ever, will be spending his Christmas afternoon on the opposite bench of the team that served as his second family for so many years. After so many Christmas Day games with Thompson in his iconic blue and gold No. 11 jersey, it’s still going to be a bit strange seeing him in that No. 31 Mavericks jersey on the other sideline on such a cherished stage.
If there’s one safe bet to make for that game, Megan Thee Stallion will have a courtside seat.
Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs, January 20 (Rivals Week, NBC)
I’m not exactly sure how successful the NBA’s new Rivals Week branding will be at attracting casual viewership, but I am interested to see the Houston Rockets and offseason acquisition Kevin Durant take on a San Antonio Spurs team that could be poised to take their first big leap of the Victor Wembanyama era.
The Rockets were one of the most impressive teams in the league last season, earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but their seven-game loss to the Warriors proved they were still a star away from truly contending for a title. Durant may be aging, but he’s still a top-five scorer in basketball. The Spurs have their superstar already, but perhaps they can be this year’s Rockets in the sense that they arrive ahead of schedule to earn a top playoff seed.
Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, February 1 (Sunday Night Basketball, NBC)
While the Indiana Pacers almost pulled off an NBA Finals upset over the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets who nearly prevented that matchup from happening entirely by forcing the 68-win Thunder to a seventh game in the second round.
Denver and OKC’s first matchup of the 2025-26 season won’t come until the first day of February, but it will be a significant one as the game will mark the debut of NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball. NBC will be broadcasting the Super Bowl from Santa Clara, Calif., exactly one week later to the minute, so it will be another big stretch in what is likely to be an all-time year for the television giant.
Of course, this game also pits the two competitors in what was one of the closest MVP races in NBA history. Given both Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance in recent years, its likely this game will have a significant bearing on the 2026 MVP Award as well.
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NBA’s 2025-26 ABC, ESPN Broadcast Full Schedule