August 11, 2026
The Sixers will begin the 2026-27 season with a road matchup against the New York Knicks on NBC, according to The Today Show. The Sixers debuts of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown will come minutes after the defending champions receive their rings and hang a banner in the Madison Square Garden rafters.
On Oct. 20, the Sixers will take center stage for the NBA Opening Night for the first time since 2022, when Joel Embiid and James Harden battled Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. This time around, they will be facing a Knicks team looking to repeat after a dream run to the 2026 NBA Finals.
The news is hardly a surprise, as James' decision to join the Sixers has instantly made the team arguably the NBA's largest national attraction; their participation in the league's first night of action was a given.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, is no stranger to Madison Square Garden. Neither are his new teammates.
Brown has had many high-profile battles against the Knicks in recent years as a member of the Celtics, and the Knicks are responsible for the Sixers' last two playoff eliminations. Somewhat of a rivalry has ensued, though Embiid may argue the Sixers have not made it a rivalry because they have never returned those favors to New York.
MORE SIXERS SCHEDULE REVEALS
This will be the first of what will almost certainly be the maximum 34 games for the Sixers broadcasted by one of the NBA's national television partners. The full schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season will be revealed on Thursday afternoon; the expectation is that the Sixers will be included in every marquee date on the league's calendar.
While the Sixers' five-headed monster of James, Brown, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe undoubtedly makes for appointment viewing, time will tell how often the Sixers have all of those players available at once. Embiid and James are particularly likely to experience some sort of load management throughout the season.
But on Oct. 20, the Sixers will get their first glimpse at what their new-look roster can accomplish. The stage and the opponent will be mighty.
SIXERS SIGN LEBRON JAMES
James' decision | Projecting Sixers' rotation | James' impact, on and off the court
