The Celtics won’t be part of the NBA’s national TV showcase on either MLK Day or Presidents Day in the 2026-27 season.
That’s the latest wrinkle as the league keeps dripping out pieces of its schedule ahead of the full release on Thursday. Both holidays are set up as all-day windows, with four nationally televised games apiece, but Boston is not among the teams included in either slate.
MLK Day will be spread across four time slots - 12:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - with games airing on NBC or Peacock. The lineup is built around some of the league’s bigger draws, including the Knicks and 76ers, plus several teams that won’t be featured on Christmas Day.
2027 MLK DAY on NBC and Peacock! 💯
🍿 Cade, Pistons and Spida, Cavs collide in The Land
🍿 LeBron, new-look Sixers visit Jalen Johnson and the Hawks
🍿 Antman and Brunson headline a Wolves-Knicks showdown at MSG
🍿 KD and the Rockets battle No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and the… pic.twitter.com/V9xEkHbGGK
- NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2026
Presidents Day follows the same basic format, with an NBC Sports quadrupleheader headlining the holiday. That slate also opens with Minnesota’s LaMelo Ball going back to Charlotte to face the Hornets.
An NBC Sports quadrupleheader will highlight the NBA schedule on Presidents' Day (Monday, Feb. 15).
The four-game lineup opens with Minnesota's LaMelo Ball returning to Charlotte to face the Hornets.
NBA Schedule Release presented by @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/ASGahOlnpC
- NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 12, 2026
For Boston, the omission is notable but not exactly surprising. The Celtics already have a handful of important windows locked in, so this looks like the league spreading its showcase spots around. Last season, Boston was on the MLK Day stage against the Pistons, while Presidents Day passed without any league games.
The biggest unanswered question still hanging over the Celtics’ calendar is when they’ll meet the 76ers. The NBA hasn’t announced that matchup yet, even as more of the schedule starts to come into focus.
So far, Boston’s released schedule includes four nationally televised games and its four NBA Cup games in the fall. The Celtics will open the season with the first game of the year in Detroit before coming home a few days later for their home opener.
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