Basketball
The NBA released its complete 2025-26 regular season schedule on Thursday — basketball season isn’t too far away…
The NBA’s 80th regular season officially begins Tuesday, Oct. 21, and will end on Sunday, April 12. Mixed in between will be the second annual NBA Cup, which runs from Oct. 31 until the championship game on Dec. 16. The traditional five-game Christmas Day slate has made its return once again, as well. This year’s NBA All-Star Game will be held in the Intuit Dome (LA Clippers) on Feb. 15, which will take place shortly after the trade deadline on Feb. 5.
With new TV partnerships spread across ESPN, NBA, and Amazon Prime, there will be plenty of new ways to watch and listen this season.
And once again, dozens of former Kentucky players will suit up to play. Including 2025 second-round draft picks Koby Brea and Amari Williams, there will be close to 30 one-time Wildcats on NBA rosters come the season-opener — and potentially more depending on what happens contract-wise with a few others on the outside looking in.
In short, you won’t have to flip through many games on any given night this season before stumbling on a UK alum in action. From impactful superstars such as reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander down to players on Exhibit 10 training camp deals such as Olivier Sarr, there will be plenty of blue and white talent to go around in the world’s top professional hoops league.
Speaking of Gilgeous-Alexander, his defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will lead the NBA this season in nationally televised games. The Thunder, along with the Lakers, Warriors, and Knicks, will all grace our TV screens 34 times in 2025-26. OKC will kick off its bid for a repeat title on Opening Night (Oct. 21 on NBC/Peacock) as the Thunder host Kevin Durant, Reed Sheppard, and the new-look Houston Rockets. On that note, the Thunder and Indiana Pacers will hold an NBA Finals rematch on Oct. 23. The Pacers brought back Isaiah Jackson, who missed nearly all of last season with a torn Achilles, on a multi-year deal.
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But back to Sheppard for a second. After a disappointing rookie campaign, he expects to play a significant role in year two next to a future Hall of Famer in Durant. The former No. 3 overall pick will have a chance to prove he’s ready right away against SGA and Co. in a primetime game with lots of eyes on it. The same narrative goes for Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham, who will open his sophomore season on Oct. 22 against Shaedon Sharpe and the Portland Trail Blazers. Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick in 2024, will look to take over as a primary ball handler alongside Anthony Edwards in Minnesota’s hunt for a third straight Western Conference Finals berth.
Christmas Day schedule (ESPN/ABC)
All five Christmas Day games this season will feature at least one former ‘Cat, headlined by San Antonio (Victor Wembanyama on Christmas? Yes, please) vs. Oklahoma City. This will mark OKC’s first Christmas Day game since 2018. Only the Cavaliers and Warriors do not currently roster a Kentucky player, although Cleveland’s Jaxson Robinson — on an Exhibit 10 deal — could end up making the cut if he performs well in camp.
- 12:00 PM ET | Cavaliers @ Knicks (Towns)
- 2:30 PM ET | Spurs (Fox, Johnson) @ Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace)
- 5:00 PM ET | Mavericks (Davis, Washington) @ Warriors
- 8:00 PM ET | Rockets (Sheppard) @ Lakers (Vanderbilt)
- 10:30 PM ET | Timberwolves (Dillingham, Randle) @ Nuggets (Murray)
MLK Day schedule (NBC/Peacock) | Monday, Jan. 19
The league’s 40th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule isn’t quite as impressive as what we’ll see on Christmas, but there will still be some must-watch games to track. None will be more exciting than the Cavaliers hosting the Thunder, a matchup that provided plenty of fireworks last regular season between the league’s top two teams. But that Mavericks-Knicks showdown with a few former ‘Cats will draw plenty of eyes, too.
- 1:00 PM ET | Bucks (Livingston) @ Hawks (Toppin)
- 2:30 PM ET | Thunder (Gilgeous-Alexander, Wallace) @ Cavaliers
- 5:00 PM ET | Mavericks (Davis, Washington) @ Knicks (Towns)
- 8:00 PM ET | Celtics @ Pistons
Other BBNBA schedule notes
- Anthony Davis and PJ Washington will play a game in Mexico City as members of the Dallas Mavericks. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Mavs and Pistons will go head-to-head in what will be the NBA’s 34th game played in Mexico as the league continues to contemplate more expansion outside of the United States.
- Second-round pick Koby Brea could make his NBA debut with the Phoenix Suns, alongside Devin Booker and Nick Richards, as early as Wednesday, Oct. 22, against Malik Monk and the Sacramento Kings. Fellow second-round pick Amari Williams could debut with the Boston Celtics also on Wednesday, Oct. 22, against Tyrese Maxey, Justin Edwards, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Brea and Williams are both on two-way contracts and could begin the season playing up in the NBA before bouncing around in the G League.
Read More Samatha Serna