Overview
- The regular season opened Tuesday, Oct. 20 with a nationally televised tripleheader on NBC and Peacock featuring Celtics at Pistons, 76ers at Knicks and Thunder at Spurs.
- The New York Knicks raised their first championship banner in 53 years and received rings at Madison Square Garden before starting their title defense, with the team returning nearly its full championship core while pausing contract-extension talks for several starters.
- Philadelphia debuted its rebuilt starting five — LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe — a lineup designed to add star power but that faces immediate questions about role clarity and defensive balance.
- The Spurs–Thunder game closed the night as a direct rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, pitching Victor Wembanyama against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a matchup that positions both clubs among early Western contenders.
- NBC and Peacock begin a season-long national package that includes 100 marquee regular-season games, an effort meant to turn opening day into an all-day showcase and to spotlight early tests for team cohesion, player workloads and title races.