NEW YORK — The NBA will return to NBC on October 21, 2025, with a season-opening doubleheader that features the Houston Rockets visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder, followed by the Golden State Warriors facing the Los Angeles Lakers, according to league and network officials.
The first game, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, will take place at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. The Thunder will raise their first championship banner in franchise history before facing the Rockets. The second game will begin at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
NBC Sports announced the broadcast as part of its new multi-year media rights agreement with the NBA. All NBC games will also stream live on Peacock.
The Rockets-Thunder matchup includes the return of forward Kevin Durant to Oklahoma City. Durant, who currently plays for Houston, spent eight seasons with the Thunder before joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016. He now joins former Thunder teammate Jeff Green on the Rockets’ roster. Houston finished last season as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
The Thunder enter the season as defending NBA champions after securing the franchise’s first title in 2025. The team is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
The second game features two Western Conference teams with established playoff histories. The matchup includes the latest meeting between Stephen Curry of the Warriors and LeBron James of the Lakers.
NBC will expand its NBA coverage with the launch of “Peacock NBA Monday” beginning October 27, 2025, with streaming-exclusive doubleheaders. NBC will also air a quadruple-header on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, scheduled for January 19, 2026, which will include appearances by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Cooper Flagg, and Jalen Brunson, according to NBC officials.
The NBA previously aired on NBC from 1990 to 2002. The last time the Rockets appeared in an NBC-broadcast playoff series was during their championship seasons in 1994 and 1995.
NBC Sports stated that its full NBA broadcast schedule for the 2025–2026 season will be released at a later date.
