The defending champion New York Knicks just unveiled their two biggest regular season matchups, and if you thought the offseason was wild, just wait. The NBA announced on Tuesday morning that the Knicks are kicking off their season by raising the championship banner on October 20th against the Philadelphia 76ers, then facing off with the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.
That Ring Night matchup against the Sixers? Nobody saw that coming after the season wrapped! But Philly made some serious moves, grabbing Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, and that blockbuster roster apparently pushed them right to the front of the line to open the season at the World’s Most Famous Arena. What’s kinda wild is the defending champs won’t even play the very first game of the NBA season, a Pistons-Celtics game is set for 3pm on a Tuesday. That’s the first time since 2022-23 the champions aren’t kicking off the league calendar.
As for Christmas, buckle up, because Spurs vs. Knicks is the juiciest possible matchup. Seriously, it’s probably the best inter-conference rivalry in basketball right now. We’re talking classic showdowns over the last three years: Jalen Brunson’s ridiculous 60-point explosion, Victor Wembanyama’s insane 40-20 game, a Christmas 2024 clash, Champagnie lighting it up with threes on NYE 2025, the 2025 NBA Cup Final, and obviously, the 2026 NBA Finals. That Finals series was the most viewed since Michael Jordan himself was playing. This is also the sixth straight year the Knicks play at MSG on Christmas, expanding their lead on all-time appearances to a staggering 59. It’s their 11th consecutive time playing at MSG, going all the way back to a 2012-13 clash at Staples Center. Get ready, because it’ll likely be their 10th consecutive noon appearance too. And for fans who love a classic, this is the first Christmas NBA Finals rematch since 2018!
So mark your calendars for October 20th and December 25th. The banner goes up, then the most electric rivalry in the league takes center stage again. This season is going to be absolutely wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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