LeBron James will visit the New York Knicks on opening night and the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas. James’ arrival in Philadelphia has made the 76ers must-see TV, and they are all over the NBA’s biggest days of the season. James will make his 76ers debut against the NBA champion Knicks on Oct.
20. The game at Madison Square Garden will be part of a tripleheader, when the Knicks raise a banner to celebrate their first championship since 1973 and James then kicks off the final stop in his career.
The full schedule will be released Thursday. He will return to face the Lakers on Christmas, after Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are back in New York for an NBA Finals rematch to open a five-game schedule. EDT start for a midweek game. The tripleheader is capped by the Spurs hosting Oklahoma City in a rematch of the Western Conference finals.
The season begins with the Boston Celtics visiting Detroit in a rare 3 p.m.
The NBA unveiled those games Tuesday morning as what it called a “sneak peek” at the 2026-27 schedule.
LeBron James Joins 76ers Amid Scheduling Delays
LeBron James confirmed he will join the Philadelphia 76ers, a decision that came after considerable anticipation from the NBA. Commissioner Adam Silver expressed the league’s eagerness for James to announce his choice, as teams and networks were awaiting finalization of the schedule. The 76ers had already strengthened their roster by acquiring All-Star Jaylen Brown from Boston, positioning themselves as a leading contender against the Knicks for the championship title.
