Thunder, Knicks, Warriors, Lakers lead 2025-26 NBA national TV schedule
The NBA has officially revealed the full schedule for the 2025-26 season, which highlights every team's games that will be on national TV. To nobody's surprise, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still the marquee names in the league, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors lead the pack, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks.
This year, the Lakers, Warriors, Thunder, and Knicks will each play a total of 34 games on national TV. As a result of the league's new media rights deal taking effect this season, national TV games include ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock, and Amazon Prime.
Last season, the Lakers and Warriors led the way with 39 and 36 nationally televised games, respectively. The Knicks were right behind them with 34 games, while the Thunder only played 25 games on the main broadcasted channels.
As a result of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading Oklahoma City to their first championship in franchise history, the Thunder are now a part of the NBA's hierarchy when it comes to national TV games.
Even near the end of their respective careers, James and Curry are still the two players everyone wants to see.
Although his future in the league and with the Lakers is uncertain, LeBron will begin his 23rd NBA season in Los Angeles next to Luka Doncic. The 40-year-old averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game last season while leading the Lakers to the 3-seed in the Western Conference.
In San Francisco, Curry is embarking on his 17th NBA season in search of his fifth championship with the Warriors. Next to Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, the 37-year-old point guard averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game last season while leading the league in free-throw percentage (93.3%) for the fifth time in his career.
It shouldn't be all that surprising to see the Knicks at the top of this list as well.
New York is coming off their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000, with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. The Knicks are undoubtedly the favorites to represent the East in the 2026 NBA Finals entering the 2025-26 season.
The Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Brooklyn Nets are all tied for the fewest national TV games this upcoming NBA season — just two games each. Toronto and Washington's games will be on streaming services, meaning they will have zero games broadcasted on ESPN, ABC, or NBC.
NBA Rivals Week schedule
Those headlining the list of nationally televised games will be featured in some of the prominent matchups during NBA Rivals Week, which will take place from January 20 to 24.
There will be a total of 11 national TV games on the networks of ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock, and Amazon Prime during these five days.
The Lakers will play three games on the road against the Denver Nuggets, the LA Clippers, and the Dallas Mavericks during Rivals Week. This will mark one of two returns to Dallas this season for Los Angeles and Doncic.
Golden State will play two games during Rivals Week. Their first game will be on the road against the Mavs on Jan. 22, followed by another road game on Jan. 24 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who eliminated the Warriors from the playoffs last year.
The Thunder will be on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks and at home against the Indiana Pacers in one of two 2025 NBA Finals rematches during the regular season.
New York will get one national TV game during Rivals Week against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers visiting the Mavericks on Saturday, Jan. 24, will be the final televised game during NBA Rivals Week.
Related: 10 pioneers of international NBA players, ranked
Related: NBA rumors: The 'real debate' happening at top of 2026 draft
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