The NBA is officially back on NBC, and opening night will bring a Houston flavor with a dash of basketball nostalgia.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the league tips off its 2025–26 season with a primetime two-game slate on NBC and Peacock.
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The night begins in Oklahoma City, where the defending champion Thunder will raise their first-ever NBA championship banner before facing the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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This matchup has a storyline that longtime fans won’t want to miss: the original OKC trio — James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant — have all worn Rockets colors at different points in their careers since leaving the Thunder.
Now, Durant and former Thunder teammate Jeff Green are teaming up on the Rockets as they return to challenge the very team that finally got over the hump without them.
In a twist of basketball history, Durant is widely regarded as one of the best players in Thunder history, yet his two championships came after leaving the team that drafted him for Golden State.
Now he’ll try to challenge the defending champs on their ring night alongside a Rockets team that finished as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last season.
The second game of the NBC slate features a rivalry for the ages: Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors visiting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 10 p.m. ET.
READ: Rockets sign Josh Okogie to fill 15th roster spot
NBC Sports is also launching Peacock NBA Monday, kicking off Oct. 27 with a streaming-exclusive double feature. Additionally, NBC will air a Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadruple-header on Jan. 19, 2026, showcasing stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Cooper Flagg, and Jalen Brunson.
All season long, every NBA on NBC game will be available nationwide on Peacock.
For Houston fans, there’s another nostalgic wrinkle. The last time the Rockets were crowned NBA champions — back-to-back in 1994 and 1995 — the games aired on NBC.
Now, with NBC once again holding the broadcast rights, some fans can’t help but wonder: could NBC’s return be a good-luck charm for Houston this season?
