Fast Break to the Holidays: NBA Season Schedule, Release Timing & Christmas 2025 Matchups
The NBA opens the 2025-26 season on October 21. Expected schedule release in August, with Christmas Day's five-game lineup set. Learn all the key dates and matchups.

NBA Schedule Release: What We Know So Far
While the NBA hasn’t officially released the full 2025–26 regular season schedule yet, history gives us a solid clue. Fans can expect the release to land in mid to late August, similar to last year’s announcement around August 15.Fox SportsReddit
For now, a few marquee dates are confirmed:
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Opening Night: October 21, 2025, will kick off the regular season.WikipediaNBA
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Preseason and NBA Cup: Warm-up matches begin in early October, leading into the in-season NBA Cup tournament (October 31 – December 16).NBAWikipedia
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International Games:
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November 1 in Mexico City (Pistons vs. Mavericks)
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January 15 and 18, 2026, in Berlin and London (Magic vs. Grizzlies).Fox SportsNBA
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Holiday Highlight: Christmas Day 2025 Schedule
Christmas Day remains one of the league’s most anticipated showdowns. The NBA has unveiled a star-studded five-game lineup for December 25, 2025, affectionately known as the league’s premier holiday showcase:
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Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks
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San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
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Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
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Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
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Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver NuggetsSan Antonio Express-NewsCBSSports.com
Each pairing brings its own storyline—East rivalries, reigning champions, superstar matchups, and classic franchises lighting up the holiday.
Why It Matters
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Scheduling strategy: The NBA builds narrative arcs—Christmas avoids dull spots and delivers high-stakes basketball when viewership peaks.
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Media partnerships: The new media rights deal (with ABC/ESPN, NBCUniversal, and Amazon) ensures all five Christmas Day games will receive maximum exposure.Bullets Forever
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Fan planning: With the full schedule due soon, this is the perfect time to start planning holiday viewing or travel.
Final Take
The NBA is giving fans plenty to anticipate: with Opening Night set for October 21, and a glamorous Christmas Day quintuple-header, attention now turns to the full schedule release in August. Once that drops, fans and media alike can deep-dive into viewership planning, game predictions, and storylines for a season filled with promise.