The NBA is kicking off opening night with a twist.
When the league unveiled its opening-week and Christmas Day slate on Tuesday, the headline wasn’t just the matchups - it was the timing. The first game of the season will send the Boston Celtics to face the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on October 20, but instead of the usual prime-time slot, tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.
That’s a sharp departure from the standard opening-night feel, and it caught fans off guard. It’s also a little more than a scheduling quirk. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the league wanted to try something different and turn the opener into a bigger showcase.
“I've talked to people around the league today, and they're like, ‘We could sense the excitement for the NBA right now. So let's experiment with this thing.' They talked with executives at NBC, and it was kind of a joint decision that this is something we can turn into a celebration of the game,” wrote McMenamin.
“It's already a marquee moment for the league. Let's see if we can enhance it and turn it into a major showcase.
Maybe down the line, this becomes a tradition for NBA fans. (Also, the NBA is) an international game. 3 p.m.
Eastern is primetime viewing in Europe.”
The game itself has plenty of star power, with Cade Cunningham and Jayson Tatum expected to lead their teams in what looks like an Eastern Conference contender matchup. And the Celtics-Pistons opener will be just the start of a packed night, with the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers set for 7 p.m.
ET and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs following at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The timing also fits with Adam Silver’s long-running push to keep the league fresh and expand its global audience. That effort appears to be paying off, too: last season, 170 million people watched the regular season across the NBA’s four primary broadcasting platforms, an 86% jump and the league’s highest viewership in 24 years.
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