ABC and ESPN, the networks of the Walt Disney Firm, will return to the duties of calling a number of the NBA’s greatest video games.
The networks of the Walt Disney Firm will proceed to be the happiest place on Earth for NBA followers.
ABC and ESPN will enter their twenty fourth consecutive season of calling the Affiliation’s greatest video games, unveiling its slate for the approaching 12 months with final week’s launch of the 2025-26 common season schedule. Disney’s networks are again on the Affiliation’s nationwide tv board alongside newcomers Amazon and NBC, whereas long-running companion TNT Sports activities has dropped out.
After 5 preseason video games between Oct. 5 and 16, the slate will get underway on the twenty second, with a doubleheader between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks, the presumptive Jap Convention favorites. A Texas battle between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, that includes the debut of newly-minted high draft choose Cooper Flagg, will function the nightcap.
Wednesday doubleheaders populate a superb little bit of the schedule for ESPN, which may also share Friday video games with Amazon. Different scattered days additionally pepper the schedule, similar to a gap week doubleheader on Oct. 23 that options an immediate NBA Finals rematch between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
ESPN can be hyping a uncommon weekday tripleheader, taking on NBA Cup pool play protection on Nov. 26, the day earlier than Thanksgiving. The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons get the opener in a particular 5 p.m. ET tip-off with Oklahoma Metropolis and the Minnesota Timberwolves to comply with. A nightcap between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors closes issues out.
ABC, as ordinary, enters the sport on Christmas Day, tipping off with one other displaying between Cleveland and New York. The defending champion Thunder faces Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs earlier than Flagg’s Mavericks wage Yuletide warfare with the Golden State Warriors. At night time, the Houston Rockets face the Los Angeles Lakers earlier than the Minnesota Timberwolves duel the Denver Nuggets.
Weekends additionally loom massive on the ABC calendar, with each the “Saturday Primetime” and “Sunday Showcase” packages each returning. The Saturday slate suggestions off with a tripleheader on Jan. 24, headlined by a short Luka Doncic return to North Texas as a member of the Lakers in primetime. The Knicks go to the Philadelphia 76ers to begin issues off earlier than one other Western warfare between the Timberwolves and Warriors.
Sunday video games tip off with one other Knicks displaying on Feb. 8: a Tremendous Bowl appetizer will function New York dealing with the Boston Celtics after defeating them within the second spherical of spring’s Jap Convention playoffs. An ESPN sport between the Timberwolves and Los Angels Clippers will comply with.
The common season closes on April 12, the ultimate day of the common season. ESPN has two slots to fill with video games that can little question carry postseason implications, an identical technique to how the Nationwide Soccer League treats its remaining “Sunday Evening Soccer” sport on NBC.
As soon as the common season wraps, in depth playoff protection will comply with, together with unique airings of each the Jap Convention Finals and the NBA Finals for the twenty fourth consecutive marketing campaign. ESPN misplaced most of its All-Star Friday protection to NBC networks however will proceed to broadcast the All-Star Superstar Sport.
Because it stands, the Knicks, Lakers, and Warriors cleared the path with six showings on ABC. Current champions Denver and Oklahoma Metropolis get eight every on ESPN. Mike Breen is poised to as soon as once more return to his duties because the voice of ABC and ESPN’s greatest video games alongside coloration commentators Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson.
Full 2025-26 NBA on ESPN and ABC schedule beneath:
(All Instances ET; ABC video games in BOLD; ESPN2 Video games Asterisked*)
Preseason
Sunday, October 5
LA Lakers at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 12
Cleveland at Boston, 7 p.m.Denver at LA Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 15
Dallas vs. LA Lakers (at Las Vegas, NV), 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 16
*Houston at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Common Season
Wednesday, October 22
Cleveland at New York, 7 p.m.San Antonio at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 23
Oklahoma Metropolis at Indiana, 7:30 p.m.Denver at Golden State, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29
Cleveland at Boston, 7 p.m.LA Lakers at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5
Minnesota at New York, 7:30 p.m.San Antonio at LA Lakers, 10 p.m.
Saturday, November 8
Phoenix at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 12
Orlando at New York, 7 p.m.LA Lakers at Oklahoma Metropolis, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 19
Golden State at Miami, 7 p.m.New York at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Eve/NBA Cup)
Detroit at Boston, 5 p.m.Minnesota at Oklahoma Metropolis, 7:30 p.m.Houston at Golden State, 10 p.m.
Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day)
Cleveland at New York, 12 p.m.San Antonio at Oklahoma Metropolis, 2:30 p.m.Dallas at Golden State, 5 p.m.Houston at LA Lakers, 8 p.m.Minnesota at Denver, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7
LA Lakers at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.Milwaukee at Golden State, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, January 14
Cleveland at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.Denver at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, January 16
Chicago at Brooklyn, 7 p.m.Minnesota at Houston, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21
Cleveland at Charlotte, 7 p.m.Oklahoma Metropolis at Milwaukee, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
New York at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.Golden State at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m.LA Lakers at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28
LA Lakers at Cleveland, 7 p.m.San Antonio at Houston, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, January 30
Memphis at New Orleans, 7:30 p.m.LA Clippers at Denver, 10 p.m.
Saturday, January 31
Dallas at Houston, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 1
Milwaukee at Boston, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 4
Denver at New York, 7 p.m.Oklahoma Metropolis at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 7
Houston at Oklahoma Metropolis, 3:30 p.m.Golden State at LA Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 8 (Tremendous Bowl Sunday)
New York at Boston, 12:30 p.m.LA Clippers at Minnesota, 3 p.m.
Wednesday, February 11
New York at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.Memphis at Denver, 10 p.m.
Friday, February 20
Dallas at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.LA Clippers at LA Lakers, 10 p.m.
Saturday, February 21
Houston at New York, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 22
Cleveland at Oklahoma Metropolis, 1 p.m.Denver at Golden State, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25
Golden State at Memphis, 7:30 p.m.Boston at Denver, 10 p.m.
Friday, February 27
Cleveland at Detroit, 7 p.m.Denver at Oklahoma Metropolis, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 28
LA Lakers at Golden State, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 1
San Antonio at New York, 1 p.m.Minnesota at Denver, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 4
Oklahoma Metropolis at New York, 7 p.m.Atlanta at Milwaukee, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, March 6
Dallas at Boston, 7 p.m.LA Clippers at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 7
Golden State at Oklahoma Metropolis, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 8
Boston at Cleveland, 1 p.m.New York at LA Lakers, 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11
Cleveland at Orlando, 7:30 p.m.Houston at Denver, 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
Denver at LA Lakers, 8:30 p.m.Sacramento at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15
Minnesota at Oklahoma Metropolis, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 18
Golden State at Boston, 7 p.m.LA Lakers at Houston, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 25
Atlanta at Detroit, 7 p.m.Houston at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 1
Atlanta at Orlando, 7:30 p.m.San Antonio at Golden State, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 8
Milwaukee at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.Oklahoma Metropolis at LA Clippers, 10 p.m.
Sunday, April 12
TBD, 6 p.m.TBD, 8:30 p.m.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
