The Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the must-watch teams in the NBA this season after their blockbuster acquisition of Russell Westbrook to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers’ brand is the biggest in the NBA, which already leads to a ton of national TV games. Now that they have three superstars and a legit chance to win a championship though, there’s no doubt that they will lead the league in nationally televised games.
While the full schedule is expected to be released later in the week, there have already been some leaks regarding the important games early in the season. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Lakers will be taking on the Golden State Warriors as a part of the NBA’s Opening Night doubleheader:
Per league source, the 75th regular season will tip off on @NBAonTNT like this on Oct. 19…
* Brooklyn at Milwaukee
* Warriors at Lakers
Yes, please…
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) August 17, 2021
This will be a matchup of last year’s NBA Play-In Tournament, which was the most-watched game on ESPN since 2019. That comes as no surprise considering the star-power that was involved like James, Davis, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Now, the addition of Westbrook to that as well as Klay Thompson, who is coming back from injury, makes the Lakers’ Opening Night matchup against the Warriors one of the most intriguing games of the season. Considering how early in the season this game is though, it remains to be seen if Thompson will be ready for it.
Given the current landscape of the West, it would not be surprising if this was a preview of the Western Conference Finals this season.
The NBA later announced that this game is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Lakers to play Nets on Christmas Day
In addition to Opening Night, the Lakers will also be the headliners of Christmas Day as they will reportedly be taking on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets.
This is another star-studded matchup that the NBA is looking to take advantage of on its biggest day of the regular season, providing fans with what could be a preview of the 2022 Finals.
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