Ever scrolled through Twitter in mid-September and seen your favorite star looking "in the best shape of his life" during a grainy gym run? You might think that's the start of the season. It’s not. There’s a massive difference between a voluntary "open run" in UCLA’s gym and the actual, whistle-blowing, clipboard-throwing start of the league year.
If you're wondering exactly when is nba training camp, the short answer for the 2025-26 season was September 29, 2025. But, like everything in the NBA, there's a "but."
Actually, several of them.
The Early Birds: Abu Dhabi and Beyond
The NBA is a global business now. That means if your team is scheduled to play overseas—like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers did this year in Abu Dhabi—you don't get the luxury of waiting until the end of September.
Those teams reported as early as September 23. Why? Because you can't exactly fly 14 hours, deal with jet lag, and play a professional game the next day without some lead time. The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets also got an early start for their trip to Macao, China.
Honestly, some players hate this. Imagine losing a week of your summer because the league wants to sell jerseys in a different time zone. On the flip side, coaches often love it. It’s a forced bonding session. You’re stuck in a hotel with your teammates for ten days. You eat together, practice together, and complain about the flight together. It builds chemistry way faster than staying home in Los Angeles or Miami.
When Is NBA Training Camp for Everyone Else?
For the vast majority of the league, the "real" start date is the last Monday of September.
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- Media Day (The Hype Machine): This usually happens exactly one day before the first practice. This year, it was September 29. This is the day you see the awkward photos of players in brand-new jerseys they haven't even sweated in yet.
- Day One of Practice: September 30. This is when the "two-a-days" (though rare now) and the heavy conditioning starts.
- The Veteran Reporting Date: Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), teams can't force veterans to report more than a certain number of days before the first preseason game.
It’s kind of funny how "official" these dates are, because we all know the players are already in town. Most of them have been playing 5-on-5 in the team's practice facility since Labor Day. But the coaches? They can't officially lead those workouts. They have to watch from the sidelines or through a glass window like they're looking at a puppy in a pet store.
Why the CBA Matters
The rules for when is nba training camp are strictly governed by the agreement between the league and the players' union. If a coach tried to make a mandatory practice on September 15th, the union would have a heart attack.
The CBA ensures players get a protected offseason. It's about health, sure, but it's also about leverage. The league tried for years to make the season longer or the camp more intense, but the modern player is all about "load management."
What Actually Happens at Camp?
If you think it's just guys shooting around, you’ve clearly never seen a Thibodeau practice. Training camp is where the "fat" is trimmed—both literally and figuratively.
Teams usually bring about 20 players to camp. Only 15 make the final roster (plus those three "two-way" spots for the G League guys). So, for the 18th guy on the roster, this isn't a fun warm-up. It's a job interview where people are literally trying to take the food off your plate.
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The Daily Grind
A typical day in camp starts early. We're talking 8:00 AM.
First, it’s the training room. Taping ankles, heat packs, and checking in with the strength coaches. Then comes the "install." This is where the coach stands in front of a white board and explains the 400 different sets they’re going to run this year.
The afternoon is for the "live" stuff. Scrimmaging.
This is where you find out who actually spent the summer in the gym and who spent it on a yacht in Ibiza.
The Transition to Preseason
Training camp is remarkably short. You only get about 4 or 5 days of pure practice before the first preseason game hits.
This year, the preseason started on October 2, 2024. That’s a tiny window! You have three days to learn a whole new defensive system before you have to go out and try to stop Luka Doncic or Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Is it enough time? Probably not. That's why the first month of the NBA season usually looks like a mess. Teams are still "playing themselves into shape" well into November.
Actionable Tips for the Dedicated Fan
If you’re trying to keep track of the schedule for next year, don't just wait for the NBA to tweet it out. Here is how you stay ahead:
- Watch the Schedule Release in August: The NBA usually drops the full calendar in mid-August. That’s when the training camp dates are finalized.
- Check International Games First: If your team is going to Paris, Mexico City, or Abu Dhabi, they will start camp one week earlier than everyone else.
- Follow the Beat Writers: Team-specific reporters (not the big national guys) usually leak the "informal" camp dates where players start showing up for voluntary workouts.
Basically, if it’s late September and you haven't seen a "Best Shape of My Life" article yet, you're not looking hard enough. Training camp is the bridge between the boredom of summer and the chaos of the regular season. It’s short, it’s intense, and for the guys on the bubble, it’s the most important two weeks of their lives.
To stay truly prepared for the next cycle, keep an eye on the official NBA Communications portal around the second week of August 2026. They release the "Key Dates" memo there, which serves as the definitive legal calendar for the upcoming season. Additionally, monitor the social media accounts of your team's local practice facility; they often post subtle hints when the "voluntary" period ends and the real work begins.