NBA opening night 2026 preview: Knicks raise their banner, LeBron’s 76ers debut, Thunder–Spurs rematch

The 2026-27 NBA season begins on Tuesday 20 October with a three-game opening night on NBC and Peacock: Boston at Detroit (3pm ET), Philadelphia at New York (7pm ET) and Oklahoma City at San Antonio (9:30pm ET). For viewers in China, that is 03:00, 07:00 and 09:30 Beijing time on Wednesday 21 October.

76ers at Knicks: New York open their title defence at Madison Square Garden, where they are expected to raise the championship banner before tip-off. The Knicks beat San Antonio 4-1 in the Finals for their first title in 53 years, with Jalen Brunson named Finals MVP. The main roster change is at centre: Mitchell Robinson left for Boston, and Andre Drummond arrived on a one-year deal.

For Philadelphia, this is LeBron James’ first regular-season game in a 76ers jersey, at the start of his record 24th season. He joins a rebuilt core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, who arrived from Boston in a July trade that sent Paul George and draft picks to the Celtics.

Thunder at Spurs: this is a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, which San Antonio won in seven games on the way to their first Finals appearance since 2014. Victor Wembanyama against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the individual matchup of the night, and both teams start the season among the favourites in the West.

Celtics at Pistons: the opener in Detroit is an early test for two Eastern Conference contenders. Boston look different after trading Jaylen Brown and adding Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, while Cade Cunningham’s Pistons want to show they belong among the East’s best. After opening night, the NBA Cup group stage begins on 30 October.