LeBron James to Face Former Team Lakers on Christmas After Joining Philadelphia

The National Basketball Association (NBA) office has pre-released the schedule for major matchups ahead of the 2026-2027 season.

The NBA office announced the schedule for high-profile games today, including matches for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have acquired superstar LeBron James.

Philadelphia will play its season opener against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York on October 21.

This game is scheduled to be the debut appearance of James wearing a Philadelphia uniform.

This day is also when the New York Knicks, the champions of the 2025-2026 season finals, will raise their championship banner in the arena.

James's home debut is set for October 23.

On this day, James will face the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown team with which he won a championship ring in 2016.

On Christmas Day, James will head to Los Angeles to face his former team, the Los Angeles (LA) Lakers.

The NBA specially arranges matchups between teams drawing high fan interest on December 25 local time.

Philadelphia, having added not only James but also Boston Celtics key guard Jaylen Brown, is considered a strong championship contender for the 2026-2027 season.

Meanwhile, having first released only the major game schedules, the NBA office will unveil the full season schedule on the 14th.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.