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After eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is about to begin a new era of his already decorated NBA career.
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The league wasted little time putting him in the spotlight when it announced its Opening Night and Christmas Day schedule on Tuesday. James is scheduled to make his Philadelphia 76ers debut on Oct. 20 when they visit the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The game will also feature Jaylen Brown’s first game against his former team after joining Philadelphia, while the Knicks will raise their championship banner before the game. It gives the NBA an immediate heavyweight matchup to open the 2026-27 season.
Hall of Famer Magic Johnson clearly liked what he saw from the opening-night schedule.
“If you thought the Knicks vs. 76ers matchup was great, the second game may be even better as the San Antonio Spurs take on the Oklahoma City Thunder!” Johnson wrote on X.
If you thought the Knicks vs. 76ers match up was great, the second game may be even better as the San Antonio Spurs take on the Oklahoma City Thunder!
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— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 11, 2026
The Spurs will host the Thunder in a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, putting Victor Wembanyama against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending Western Conference champions against Oklahoma City.
The opening-night tripleheader begins with the Boston Celtics visiting the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET. Philadelphia-New York follows at 7 p.m., before Oklahoma City-San Antonio closes the night at 9:30 p.m.
The NBA has also revealed a loaded Christmas Day slate. The Spurs will visit the Knicks in a Finals rematch, while James returns to Los Angeles when the 76ers face the Lakers. The Thunder will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Miami Heat will face the Boston Celtics and Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
That gives James two immediate marquee games to circle in his first season with Philadelphia. His debut against the defending champions will come first, but his return to Los Angeles on Christmas could become one of the most anticipated games of the entire regular season.
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This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 10:29 AM.