30 teams, 82 games, 2460 regular season games, all set in stone as of Thursday. Mark your calendars because the full NBA schedule for the 2023-24 season has officially been released.
If there’s one thing about the NBA, it’s that they know how to reinforce some of the most fascinating storylines around the league with scheduling meant to highlight superstars and marquee matchups.
From revenge games featuring consequences of a tense off-season to rivalries old and new, this year’s schedule release has some intriguing dates littered throughout. Here’s a quick look at the major dates on the NBA calendar as well as some must-watch revenge games this season.
Opening Week – October 24 – 29
Opening night on Oct. 24 is a stargazing event like no other, featuring a doubleheader packed with the biggest names in the sport.
The Los Angeles Lakers take on the reigning champ Denver Nuggets in the first taste of the new season – a rematch of the latest Western Conference Finals between two of the best dynamic duos league-wide as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray face LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kevin Durant will take on the Golden State Warriors for the first time since joining the Phoenix Suns ahead of the trade deadline last season. Perhaps more importantly though, this is set to be the first revenge game of the year as former Suns point guard Chris Paul will suit up for his first game as a Warrior against the team he lead to the NBA Finals in 2021.
The rest of opening week is just as stacked.
On Oct. 25, Victor Wembanyama will make his debut with the San Antonio Spurs in a game against in-state rival Dallas Mavericks and superstars Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. We’ll also see Kristaps Porzingis make his debut as a member of the Boston Celtics in a matchup against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden, his old stomping grounds.
Elsewhere on the 25th, the Toronto Raptors make their season debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Fred VanVleet will get his first look as a member of the Houston Rockets against the Orlando Magic and Paolo Banchero.
October 26th’s double-header will pit Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, then, for the first time since Christmas Day 2018, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will match up once more as the Suns visit the Lakers.
October 27th will feature some playoff rematches as the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics replay their Eastern Conference Final matchup and the Warriors and Sacramento Kings renew the North Californian rivalry that turned into one of the most intriguing first-round matchups of the playoffs last season.
Saturday, October 28th is set to be perhaps the most heated opening game for the Toronto Raptors as they’ll host the long-time rival Philadelphia 76ers led by none other than former coach Nick Nurse.
Christmas Day – December 25
Always an important date on the NBA calendar, this year’s Christmas Day slate is as good as ever as the NBA attempts to showcase some of the biggest rivalries present in the sport.
Among the matchups, you’ll find the age-old rivals Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers go head-to-head for the third time on Christmas Day.
Then, in what has become one of the most intriguing new rivalries in the league, the Dallas Mavericks will visit the Phoenix Suns as bitter rivals Luka Doncic and Devin Booker butt heads while former teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant face off against one another for the first time since leaving the Brooklyn Nets last season.
Elsewhere, the Bucks visit the Knicks, the two most recent champions matchup as the Warriors visit Denver, and former teammates Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler face off as the 76ers take on the Heat.
Martin Luther King Day – January 15
Martin Luther King Day (which falls on Jan. 15 this year), has also become a marquee day for the NBA in recent seasons.
Of the notable games, the Houston Rockets and Fred VanVleet will take a trip to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers and former coach Nick Nurse, the Celtics will head North to take on the Raptors, the bad-blood between the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies will come to a head, and the nightcap will feature Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder making the trip to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers.
Rivals Week – January 23 – 27
Rivals week kicks off on Jan. 23 with a double-header of derbies as the New York Knicks take on the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets and the battle for Los Angeles resumes as the Lakers face the Clippers.
Then, Jan. 24 will showcase a battle of long-lanky bigs as Chet Holmgren and the Thunder visit San Antonio to take on Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
The playoff rematches are in full swing on Jan. 25 as the Celtics take on the Heat and the Kings head to Chase Center to face the Warriors.
Though they aren’t traditional rivals, Jan. 26 will showcase a matchup of hotly debated new and old first-round picks as Luka Doncic and the Mavericks face Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile, 2023 first-round selection Scoot Henderson and the Portland Trail Blazers will take on the Spurs and the player set to be his eternal rival in Wembanyama.
Rivals week concludes with an explosive triple-header as Jimmy Butler and the Heat head to Madison Square Gardens to take on the Knicks, then they’ll feature a matchup of the best big men in the league as Joel Embiid and the 76ers face Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, and lastly, Steph Curry and LeBron James try to get the best of one another once more as the Warriors play host to the Lakers.
Revenge games
Revenge games are always some of the most fun on the NBA calendar, and though this offseason didn’t see the most player movement as the biggest names are still working towards trades, the NBA calendar is still set to feature some intriguing returning matchups. Here are the must-watch dates for revenge games.
Oct. 28: 76ers @ Raptors – Nick Nurse, who ended his Raptors tenure by telling president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, “Good luck with those guys,” will touch down in his old stomping grounds on opening week with a Philadelphia team still unsure about the future of star James Harden.
Nov. 22: Golden State @ Phoenix – Though they’ll face off on opening night, the real Chris Paul revenge game will take place later as the Warriors visit the Suns for the first time since the latter shipped Paul away in the trade for Bradley Beal
Dec. 15: Rockets @ Grizzlies – After plenty of hi-jinx, Dillon Brooks’ tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies ended unceremoniously as the team he spent his whole career with said that they don’t want him back “under any circumstance.” He went on to sign a lucrative four-year deal with the Houston Rockets and will get his first crack at proving to his old team that he was more than just a loud presence.
Dec. 22: Wizards @ Warriors – Jordan Poole, a year removed from signing a four-year, $128-million contract with the Warriors, was shipped off in favour of the much older (but with less term) Chris Paul. The player that the Warriors once hoped could be the incumbent to Steph Curry will visit Chase Centre for the first time, hoping to make them regret their decision.
Jan. 31: Suns @ Nets – For the first time since demanding a trade, Kevin Durant will return to Brooklyn to perhaps stick it to owner Joe Tsai once more. This will also be the first time former Suns players Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson get to show out against their old team, this time in a much-expanded role with their new club.
Feb. 4: Grizzlies @ Celtics – When the trade for Kristaps Porzingis was originally reported, it involved Malcolm Brogdon heading to the Clippers. After talks broke down, it was reshaped and saw stalwart Marcus Smart make his way to Memphis as part of a three-team deal. He’ll now get a chance to show why getting rid of the attitude and defensive presence he brings was perhaps the wrong decision for the Celtics.
Feb. 4: Suns @ Wizards – Bradley Beal was a franchise icon in Washington since he was drafted in 2012. He reached top-four in win shares and was their only saving grace through the years when the team struggled without co-star John Wall. Now he’ll get his first taste of playing on a team facing the Wizards. What sort of ovation will he return to?
Feb. 6: Mavericks @ Nets – Much less likely to receive a standing ovation is Kyrie Irving as he makes his return to Brooklyn after forcing his way out exactly a year prior. It’s fair to wonder whether the boos in Barclays will be louder for Irving or Durant.
Feb. 9: Rockets @ Raptors – Perhaps the biggest move in a weaker free agent class saw Fred VanVleet bet on himself once more and take a massive pay raise in Houston, leaving Toronto, the city that saw him transform from undrafted to all-star. Though many fans may be happy to see him get his bag, should he torch the Raptors in his return, it may leave spectators wondering whether or not the front office should’ve forked up a few extra million to bring back the point guard.
You can check out the rest of the NBA schedule here.
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