LOS ANGELES.- Two luxury matches to inaugurate the regular season of the NBA October 20: Sixers of LeBron James before the New York Knicksbrand new champions, and the reissue of the Western final with the Spurs of Victor Wembanyama visiting Oklahoma City, the league announced Tuesday.
The San Antonio Spursthirsty for revenge after having lost the final in June against the Knicks (4-1), will start the season of revenge on the court of the Thunder of the current double MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexandereliminated by “Wemby” and their team in the Western semi-finals.
The San Antonio team will seek a quick return to the final with the incorporation of the power forward Tobias Harris (34 years old), who will provide experience, a factor that tipped the balance for the Knicks in the final.
Champion in 2025, OKC has made some changes to its squad, with the arrival of the Spanish giant Aday Mara (2.21 m), which will have the mission of stopping “Wemby” (2.24 m).
The other great duel of the first day will face two historic teams like the Knicks and the Sixers, the new great focus of the NBA.
The legend James (41 years old) will suit up for the first time with the Sixers to start his 24th season (a record) in the Madison Square Gardenon a gala night in which the hosts will officially raise the flag commemorating their third NBA title, won in June.
The “King” returns for Christmas
To challenge the champions, the Sixers have assembled a five-star squad, returning to a pavilion where their title dreams ended by falling in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference by a resounding 4-0.
In addition to ‘King James’, the franchise Pennsylvania signed the All Star forward, Jaylen Browncoming from the Boston Celticsto support the pivot Joel Embiid and the electric Tyrese Maxeythus forming a ‘Big 4’ that many observers present as tailor-made to go to the end.
The menu for the start of the regular season will also include the clash between the two best teams in the East of the 2025-26 regular season, with the Detroit Pistons hosting the Celtics.
On Christmas Day, whose programming is always stellar, James’s return to Los Angeles stands out, where he played the last eight seasons and achieved a championship title (2020).
But also the return of the “Wemby” band to New York for a rematch of the final, and the visit of the Celtics to Miamiwhere Giannis Antetokounmpo has packed his bags after 13 seasons in Milwaukee.
