Opening Week
Oct. 21 Doubleheader on NBC: Rockets @ Thunder, Mavs @ Lakers. This is simply a must. Two great storylines to kick off the 2025-26 NBA Season. Kevin Durant's Rockets debut and him watching his former team get their rings after the way he left them sounds elite to me. And then the second game of the night has Anthony Davis making his return to Los Angeles, Luka Doncic against his former team, and Cooper Flagg's NBA Debut. It just makes too much sense.
Oct. 22 Doubleheader on ESPN: Magic @ Knicks, Spurs @ Wolves. Picking East games were challenging as this might be the worst conference in the 21st century. However, seeing a potential Eastern Conference Finals Preview after the Magic got Desmond Bane this offseason would be pretty fun. For the second game, Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards are two of the brightest stars, and we all know France will be tuned into this game as they get to watch Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama go at it. Also, it would be Dylan Harpers' NBA debut.
Oct. 23: No doubleheader or National TV games outside of NBA TV. Amazon will have Thursday night doubleheaders after the NFL Regular Season, but due to Thursday Night Football, they will get Vikings @ Chargers.
Oct. 24 Doubleheader on Amazon: Warriors @ Rockets, Thunder @ Nuggets. This would be a ton of fun. Obviously these are two playoff rematches that went seven games, but the Rockets and Nuggets both had active offseasons. Again, we get Durant against a former team of his in his, this time Stephen Curry and the Warriors. We then see a rematch of arguably the best series of the entire 2025 playoffs including the two best players in the world in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Christmas Day on ESPN
12:00 PM EST: Hawks @ Knicks. Four years later, we finally get Trae Young in the Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day. NBA fans got robbed of this in 2021 as Trae got covid. Not only that, but we get Kristaps Porzingis playing against his former team and of course the point guard battle of Jalen Brunson vs. Trae Young.
2:30 PM EST: Spurs @ Mavs. Wow. We need this, badly. The top two picks in the 2025 Draft in Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, and Victor Wembanyama vs. Anthony Davis, two of the best big men in the league. Unfortunately, Kyrie Irving will not be back for this game probably, but if he somehow is, we would also get a nice point guard battle of Kyrie vs. Fox.
5:00 PM EST: Rockets @ Warriors. A rematch from the first week of the season and the playoffs last season, but this time, it is at the Chase Center. Durant vs. Curry is always lit. I do not need to explain this one anymore. Please Adam Silver, PLEASE.
8:00 PM EST: Lakers @ Thunder. The biggest market in the NBA with potentially the greatest player of all time in LeBron James vs. the defending champions on Christmas Day. Wow. Not only that, but a duel of Luka Doncic vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have been compared a lot recently and they will want to make a case on the biggest stage for why they are still the best point guard in the league, especially Luka, considering most people including myself think SGA is currently the best point guard in the league.
10:30 PM EST: Wolves @ Nuggets. Over the last three years, these two teams have played each other in the playoffs twice, with each team winning one time. They obviously played that epic double overtime game last season where Russell Westbrook had a crazy brainfart, but he is off the Nuggets now, and they are much improved. The crowd will be electric, and I would love to watch this game.
Overall, I would be ecstatic with these games. I think all of them have some good storylines. Let me know if y'all would want to see a potential Rivals Week next!