Lakers open season as NBA launches three-day 20-21 calendar – Manila Bulletin

The NBA season will kick off Christmas week with two opening night games highlighted by the Los Angeles Lakers championship ring ceremony, the league announced Wednesday.

The Lakers will battle the Los Angeles Clippers on December 22 to open the season just 10 weeks after beating the Miami Heat in six games to win their 17th NBA championship.

The league decided to postpone the announcement of its full schedule and is doing so piecemeal. Three calendar days came out on Wednesday and another batch will be revealed on Friday.

The other opening night game features the Golden State Warriors visiting Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Durant hasn’t played since June 2019, when his Achilles tendon ruptured.

Weeks later, Durant signed as a free agent with Brooklyn, ending a three-year stint with the Warriors in which he won two MVP Finals and a pair of NBA titles.

The league also confirmed earlier reports of a five-game roster for Christmas Day that also involves the Lakers, Nets and Warriors.

LeBron James and the Lakers host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks and Clippers visit Denver to face the Nuggets.

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans visit the Miami Heat, the Warriors are in the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics host the Nets.