The NBA schedule for the 2026-27 regular season was partially released by the league on Tuesday.
The NBA revealed three games will open the season on Tuesday, Oct. 20, featuring the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The TV timing of the season opener, though, confused and frustrated some NBA fans, who had a strong reaction on social media.
The Celtics and Pistons will play in the first game of the new NBA regular season at 3 p.m. ET, while many fans around the United States could still be at work and unable to watch.
“3pm game on a tuesday is great news for the unemployed!!!” X user @antafterdark126 wrote about the NBA schedule. “(Whose) idea was that bro.”
“3pm on a Tuesday might be the stupidest thing I have ever seen,” X user @PropositionNick added in another tweet criticizing the start time.
The matchup between the Pistons and Celtics will be followed by the reigning champion New York Knicks hosting the LeBron James-led Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 p.m. ET.
After the Knicks play the 76ers on their ring night, the Spurs, who lost to the Knicks in last season’s NBA Finals, will conclude the NBA opening night at home versus the rival Oklahoma City Thunder.
While NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBC took some heat online, not everyone was mad at the early start time for the season opener.
“I kinda like the 3pm weekday game,” X user @Ds0859 wrote. “They should do that more often on occasion.”
“I can’t remember the last time there was a 3pm season opener,” added X user @jetboiiitnt, “Silver cooking with this new media deal.”
The NBA is entering the second year of an 11-year media rights contract with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Amazon under which ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video are telecasting NBA games.
The media rights contract is worth approximately $76 billion in total over the 11 years.
Last month, while James was vacillating on where to continue his NBA career as a free agent, Silver put pressure on the veteran superstar to pick a new team so that the TV schedule could be finalized; James still waited a week longer to announce he was headed to Philadelphia.
James and the 76ers will also be in action against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on Christmas Day. Other matchups on the marquee holiday slate include: Spurs-Knicks in a Finals rematch, Miami Heat-Celtics, Thunder-Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets-Golden State Warriors.
The full NBA schedule is expected to be released at 3 p.m. ET on August 13.
