With the 2024 Paris Olympics in the rearview mirror, we’re officially into the dead zone of the NBA calendar. As you’ll see below, training camps begin in October for all teams except the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets. They will open practice on Sept. 25 because they open their preseason schedules earlier with two matchups in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The NBA also released its full schedule for the 2024-25 regular season on Thursday. Here are the key dates for the upcoming season, including a handful of regular-season matchups to get your popcorn ready for.
NBA key dates to know
- Sept. 24: Media day for Celtics and Nuggets
Boston and Denver get started a week before everyone else because they are scheduled to begin their preseason schedule earlier than everyone else with a pair of matchups in Abu Dhabi.
- Sept. 25: First day of practice for Celtics, Nuggets
- Sept. 30: Media days for the remaining 28 teams
- Oct. 1: First day of training camp for remaining 28 teams
- Oct. 4, 6: Celtics vs. Nuggets in NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024
- Oct. 12-13: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend
There will be 13 inductees for the class of ’24: Chauncey Billups (player), Vince Carter (player), Michael Cooper (player), Walter Davis (player), Bo Ryan (coach), Charles Smith (coach), Seimone Augustus (player), Dick Barnett (player), Harley Redin (coach), Michele Timms (player), Doug Collins (contributor), Herb Simon (contributor), Jerry West (contributor, previously enshrined as player and member of 1960 Olympics team).
- Oct. 18: Preseason concludes
- Oct. 22: Opening night of the 2024-25 regular season
First, the Boston Celtics will receive their 2024 championship rings before hosting the New York Knicks. In the nightcap, the Minnesota Timberwolves will be at the Los Angeles Lakers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
- Oct. 23: Bucks at Sixers
The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are coming off disappointing first-round playoff exits due to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid injuries. Both organizations will hope that better days are ahead, and they’ll begin the new campaign against each other in Philadelphia.
After two-plus decades of sharing Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) with the Lakers, the Clippers will finally open their own new building this season. The Clippers will play their first regular season game inside the Intuit Dome, which cost more than $2 billion to build, against the Phoenix Suns.
- Nov. 2: NBA Mexico City Game (Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
- Nov. 12: Emirates NBA Cup Group Stage begins
Click here for group pairings and an explanation of the NBA Cup format. Click here to view information for all NBA Cup group stage nationally televised games.
Klay Thompson’s decision to leave the Golden State Warriors and join the Dallas Mavericks this summer was not surprising. Still, it will be strange to see him in a new uniform this season. He’ll make his first return to the Bay Area on Nov. 12 for what should be an emotional occasion.
- Dec. 3: Emirates NBA Cup Group Stage concludes
- Dec. 10-11: Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals
- Dec. 14: Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals
- Dec. 17: Emirates NBA Cup Championship
- Dec. 25: Christmas Day (San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns)
- Jan. 23/25: NBA Paris Games (Spurs vs. Pacers)
- Jan. 25: Celtics at Mavericks (Finals rematch)
The Celtics and Mavericks will meet for the first time since the 2024 Finals on Jan. 25 in Dallas, per The Athletic. They will then play again in Boston just a few weeks later on Feb. 6.
- Feb. 6: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
- Feb. 14-16: NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco
- April 13: NBA Regular Season ends
- April 15-18: NBA Play-In Tournament
- April 19: NBA Playoffs begin
