LeBron's 76ers taking centre stage as full NBA season schedule revealed

[p]The NBA had already announced that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]James[/a] and the Sixers would be in action on the first day of the league's 81st season on October 20th -- trying to spoil the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a]' celebration of last season's crown.[/p][p]That game is part of a three-game slate featuring James launching his record-extending 24th season with his new club at Madison Square Garden.[/p][embed guid="b659d765-dd85-44d1-91e2-5784d596fc7c" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2087932199312191678" social-type="twitter" /][p]Other opening-day games will see the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-celtics/KYD9hVEm/"]Boston Celtics[/a] taking on Eastern Conference rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a] and a Western Conference finals rematch between the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City Thunder[/a] and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio Spurs[/a].[/p][p]Oklahoma City, powered by two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a], beat the Spurs for the Western Conference regular-season title last season but lost in seven games in the West playoff finals to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a]'s Spurs.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-76ers/vwRW2QSh/"]76ers[/a] will be in the spotlight all season as they seek their first championship since 1983, bolstered not only by the addition of NBA all-time leading scorer James but also by the arrival of 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-jaylen/l88NjhUb/"]Jaylen Brown[/a] from Boston.[/p][p]The 76ers will play their first home game with James on the roster on October 22nd when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland[/a], James's hometown team, visits.[/p][p]There are no games on November 3rd, election day in the United States, but all 30 teams will play on November 2nd.[/p][embed guid="0871c69b-f21b-4c6e-adf3-87b04ac26c86" url="https://x.com/sixers/status/2087994866286424526" social-type="twitter" /][p]Other key dates include the NBA Cup final taking place at historic Hinckle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 11th and the trade deadline on February 11th.[/p][p]The All-Star Game will be held on February 21st at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.[/p][p]And the regular season will conclude with all 30 teams in action on April 11th.[/p][p]The previously announced five-game Christmas Day slate will see James returning with the Sixers to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles[/a] to face the Lakers, the team he departed as a free agent in June.[/p][p]Boston will entertain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami[/a] with the Celtics having won 10 of the past 11 meetings with the Heat over three seasons.[/p][h2]Intriguing reunions[/h2][p]Christmas will also feature Oklahoma City at Minnesota, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver[/a], powered by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a], will visit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-stephen/xx3787qL/"]Stephen Curry[/a]-led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/golden-state-warriors/SxUtXqch/"]Golden State[/a] and Wembanyama will lead the Spurs into New York to face the Knicks in an NBA Finals rematch.[/p][p]The Spurs will have a busy holiday season. They have a New Year's Eve date in Charlotte and a New Year's Day game at Washington.[/p][p]The Spurs are set to return to Paris for a January 14th meeting with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-orleans-pelicans/U3yc9SkP/"]New Orleans[/a] and will take on the Pelicans again in Manchester on January 17th.[/p][embed guid="552f32d4-ffbc-4d06-8449-139557d68906" url="https://x.com/spurs/status/2087979747716296819" social-type="twitter" /][p]The first international games of the season will come on November 7th, when the Denver Nuggets play the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/indiana-pacers/YPohMUTt/"]Indiana Pacers[/a] in Mexico City.[/p][p]Some intriguing reunions are sprinkled through the season -- a marathon undertaking that will see each team play 82 games.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antetokounmpo-giannis/zw2Tm2a1/"]Giannis Antetokounmpo[/a], the two-time MVP who led the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Bucks[/a] to the 2021 title, returns to Milwaukee for the first time on January 28 after being traded to the Miami Heat in June.[/p][p]Brown, a five-time All-Star for the Celtics, returns to Boston with the 76ers on January 21st.[/p]