Honestly, if you're like me, your internal clock is basically set to the thud of a Spalding—or, well, Wilson these days—hitting hardwood. We spend all summer obsessing over trade rumors and draft picks, but the real question is always the same: when can I finally sit on my couch and watch games that actually count?
The start date for nba season is a bit of a moving target every year, but it usually lands right in that sweet spot where the leaves start turning and you’re looking for any excuse to stay inside. For the 2025-26 campaign, the league officially tipped off on October 21, 2025.
If you missed the memo, don't worry. You've still got plenty of basketball left before the trophy is handed out. This 80th anniversary season is a weird one, honestly. We’ve seen the return of the NBA to NBC after a 24-year hiatus, which basically feels like a massive nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up with the "Roundball Rock" theme song.
Why the Start Date for NBA Season Always Feels Like a Guessing Game
The league doesn't just pick a random Tuesday and go with it. There is a whole science—and a lot of math—behind the calendar. Usually, the NBA likes to get things moving about two weeks before Halloween.
Why? Because they want to stay out of the way of the MLB World Series as much as possible while making sure they are firmly entrenched by the time Christmas Day rolls around. Christmas is basically the NBA's version of the Super Bowl for regular-season viewership.
For this current 2025-26 run, the schedule was dropped on August 14, 2025. I remember because I was trying to plan a weekend trip and had to wait for the league to decide if the Knicks were playing at home. They usually announce the "big" games—Opening Night and Christmas—a few days before the full 1,230-game slog is released.
Key Dates You Absolutely Need to Know
If you're trying to track the rest of the year, here's the vibe of the 2026 calendar:
- The Mid-Season Grind: We just passed the NBA Cup (the In-Season Tournament), which the New York Knicks surprisingly took home after beating the Spurs in December.
- The All-Star Break: This year, it’s happening in Los Angeles at the brand-new Intuit Dome from February 13 to 15, 2026.
- Trade Deadline: If your team is struggling, February 5 at 3 p.m. ET is the day you’re either going to celebrate or cry on Twitter.
- The Regular Season Finish Line: Everything wraps up on April 12, 2026. Every single team plays that day. It's absolute chaos.
The "International Game" Twist
One thing people often forget when looking for the start date for nba season is that the "start" sometimes happens in a completely different time zone. We’ve seen the league lean heavily into global games recently.
Right now, as we speak in January 2026, the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies are basically living out of suitcases in Europe. They have the Berlin Game on January 15 and the London Game on January 18. If you’re a fan of either team, your sleep schedule is probably ruined this week.
It’s a cool move for the brand, but it definitely adds a layer of complexity to the schedule that didn't exist ten years ago.
What’s Different About the 2025-26 Schedule?
This season felt different from the jump because of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They came into this season as the defending champs—their first-ever title—and the energy on opening night (October 21) was just different. Watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander raise that banner was a "the future is now" moment for the league.
Also, we’ve got rookies like Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper who basically took over the conversation the moment the season started. Flagg’s debut on October 22 against Victor Wembanyama was probably the most-watched "Day 2" game in the history of the sport. It lived up to the hype, sort of. Flagg looked like a pro, but Wemby is still an alien.
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How to Stay Ahead for Next Season
If you are already looking ahead to the 2026-27 start date for nba season, you can pretty much set your watch by the pattern.
Expect the 2026 draft in late June, free agency to turn the world upside down in July, and the schedule release to hit your phone somewhere around the second or third week of August. The actual games will likely start on October 20 or 27, 2026, depending on how the Tuesdays fall.
Your Actionable Cheat Sheet
- Sync your calendar: Go to the official NBA site and download your specific team's schedule to your Google or Apple calendar. It updates automatically for TV changes.
- Watch the "Flex" schedule: Since the move to NBC and Peacock this year, games are being moved to national slots more frequently. Check the Sunday Night Basketball lineup before you make dinner plans.
- Plan for the Playoffs: The Play-In Tournament starts April 14, 2026. Don't book any vacations for that week if your team is a 7-10 seed.
- Bookmark the Trade Deadline: February 5 is the date. Keep an eye on "Woj-bombs" or whatever the kids are calling them now.
The 2025-26 season is already in high gear, with the playoffs looming just a few months away. Whether you're a die-hard or a casual fan, keeping track of the start date for nba season and its subsequent milestones is the only way to make sure you don't miss the moments that people will be talking about at the water cooler the next morning.