NBA opens Tuesday: LeBron's Sixers debut meets Knicks banner night

The NBA's 81st season tips off Tuesday, Oct. 20, with a national tripleheader on NBC and Peacock. The night is packed with storylines, and the biggest one lands at Madison Square Garden.

That is where LeBron James makes his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Awful Announcing, and where the Knicks will raise their 2025-26 championship banner, Fox Sports reports. Jaylen Brown, traded away by Boston this offseason, also suits up for Philadelphia for the first time.

Opening week

Times ET. Wednesday-Friday pairings per Bleacher Report.

Who can win it

ESPN's Zach Kram puts three teams in a tier of their own: New York, Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They were the only clubs to win a conference finals game last spring, and they bring back nearly all of their starters. The Knicks and Thunder own the last two titles, and the Spurs reached the Finals in June.

The summer reshaped much of the rest of the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone from Milwaukee, the Lakers moved on without James, and Washington took AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, Kram writes.

The NBA Cup group stage starts Oct. 30, and the regular season ends April 11.