The National Basketball Association has released a full schedule for the 2021-2022 season, with all teams playing 82 games, 10 more than last season’s delayed and shortened COVID-19 affected campaign. Opening night is set for October 19th, with the noteworthy move of the Toronto Raptors back to Canadian soil, after playing home games last season in Tampa, Florida.
On the 75th anniversary of the first-ever NBA game, a New York Knicks at Toronto Huskies game in the “Basketball Association of America” on November 1, 1947, the Knicks and Raptors will play in Toronto on November 1, 2022.
Meanwhile, the only three franchises to be a part of all 75 seasons, the Knicks, Celtics, and Warriors, will appear on national television in mid-December, with Golden State at New York on the 14th, visiting Boston on the 17th, with the Celtics hosting the Knicks on December 18th.
For many, the excitement of the NBA season really doesn’t “kick in” until Christmas Day, which has turned into a huge day for the association in terms of nationally-televised games over a multi-hour period of time. This year’s list of games on December 25th will be Atlanta at New York, Boston at the world champion Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State at Phoenix, Brooklyn at the L.A. Lakers, and Dallas at Utah.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day has also turned into a bonanza of NBA matchups, with a focus on honoring the life and focus of racial unity preached by Dr. King. Twelve games are slated on January 17, 2022, including games in Atlanta and Memphis, as the Hawks battle the Bucks, with the Grizzlies challenging the Bulls.