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LeBron James has moved back to the Eastern Conference, but the Lakers remain a major box office draw for the NBA.
With an almost brand new rotation after a busy offseason that elevated Luka Doncic to the team’s unquestioned leader, the Lakers have the maximum amount of nationally televised games in the NBA next season with 34, according to the league schedule released Thursday. The Lakers open the season against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 on ESPN.
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The slate is highlighted by a much-anticipated Christmas Day reunion with James that will be televised at 2 p.m. on ABC. The matchup at Crypto.com Arena will be James’ return to L.A. after the four-time NBA champion signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this summer following eight seasons with the Lakers. James will play on Christmas Day for the 21st time in his 24-season career, and the Lakers will play on the holiday for the 28th consecutive time.
The Lakers don’t meet James in his new home until March 4, when they finish a four-game trip in Philadelphia.
The Lakers have a frantic start to the season, playing 13 games in the first four weeks. They have three back-to-back sets during the busy stretch from the opener to a game in Milwaukee on Nov. 11.
The Lakers have 15 sets of back-to-backs, one more than last season, and seven sets require travel between the games. Two require time changes: The Lakers play at Minnesota on Dec. 18 before gaining an hour while traveling to Denver to play Dec. 19, then lose an hour between Chicago on Jan. 2 and Toronto on Jan. 3.
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The annual Grammys trip begins in Indiana on Jan. 28 followed by a back-to-back set in New York (Jan. 30) and Charlotte (Jan. 31). The Lakers then continue the seven-game trip by circling back north to Boston (Feb. 2) and Brooklyn (Feb. 4), then heading West with stops in San Antonio (Feb. 6) and Phoenix (Feb. 8).
Read more: Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner to buy Lakers from Mark Walter’s ownership group for $12.5 billion
The reigning NBA champion New York Knicks, Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and James’ 76ers each have 34 nationally televised games. The national broadcast…
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Publish date : 2026-08-13 19:55:00
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