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The NBA 2025-26 season is here, and the opening match will see defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder take on Houston Rockets at the Paycom Centre on Tuesday, October 22 (IST). The season already has quite a few changes, as Kevin Durant will represent the Houston Rockets. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton have been ruled out of the entire season after tearing their Achilles tendons. There’s also no timeline on the return of Kyrie Irving, leaving the Dallas Mavericks in somewhat of a pickle.
However, Dallas are bolstered by the addition of Cooper Flagg, who has been setting the stage on fire of late. San Antonio Spurs No. 2 pick Dylan Harper is also one of the rookies to watch for in the 2025-26 season. Well, if you are speaking about the NBA, one has to talk about LeBron James as he will enter his record 23rd season.
LeBron James will have his eyes set on adding a fifth championship to his list of growing accomplishments. The elder statesman will be on the radar of the media, as many believe the upcoming season to be his last. Whether this is his final ride or just another chapter, the aura is set to remain, rather grow.
Oklahoma City Thunder enter the season as defending champions, and many view the team as the team to beat once again. Their young core, led by Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, remains intact, making them one of the most dangerous sides this season.
Their only challenge would be to remove complacency; however, the feat of winning back-to-back titles is so rare that it holds them in good standing. Teams like the Golden State Warriors are heavily dependent on their veteran stars, and hence the question arises — can they match up?
How will the season be played?
If you are not aware of anything pertaining to the NBA, we have you covered. There are 30 teams in the competition, with 15 in the Eastern Conference and 15 in the Western Conference.
The regular season begins on October 22 (India) and ends on April 12, 2026. The third edition of the in-season NBA Cup is planned to be held from October 31 through December 16.
The 2026 All-Star Game is scheduled for February 15, and then the play-in tournament will be played from April 14 to 17, 2026. The NBA Finals will start June 4, with a possible game 7 scheduled for June 21.
Speaking of the NBA Cup, all the games except the championship final will count towards the regular season standings. There are six intraconference pools of five (three pools per conference). The winners of each pool and two wild-card teams will eventually advance to a single-elimination tournament held on December 9, 10, 13 and 16.
To compensate for this, the NBA’s regular-season scheduling formula has been modified, which is the main reason why 80 games for each team were initially announced during the offseason. For the third consecutive season, the semifinals and championship game will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Speaking of the playoffs, the Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets are the prime teams expected to make it that far in the tournament. However, the LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic also have it in them to spring a surprise.
Talking about the Lakers, one thing that goes in their favour is Luka Doncic’s form. He is currently in his prime and coming off a successful EuroBasket run for Slovenia.
