NBA 2024-21 Schedule: Everything You Need to Know About the Season

The 2024-21 NBA season is set to begin on December 22 with a doubleheader on TNT and ESPN on Wednesday, December 23. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA 2024-21 schedule has been delayed from its usual October date. All the games of NBA 2024-21 to broadcast on TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio from December 22, 2024 to March 4, 2024.

NBA is the 3rd wealthiest sports league in America along with the 3rd most played sport in the United States. Thus it’s very evident by reading the statistics that how much NBA means to the fans, people of America, and also worldwide.

NBA’s 2019-2020 season was concluded recently on 11th October 2024, a NBA season generally runs for 9 months from October – June, however, this year due to COVID the season was halted in March only to resume in July.

The Lakers emerged as champions and dedicated it to Late Kobe Bryant. Though the celebrations and the gratitudes had to be cut short as NBA are already in crisis and headache regarding the beginning of the 2024-2024 season.

NBA 2024-21 Schedule

Tuesday, Dec. 22: Opening Night
Golden State Warriors vs. Brooklyn Nets (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET, TNT)

Wednesday, Dec. 23
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns ( 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day 
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Miami Heat (12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Golden State Warriors vs. Milwaukee Bucks (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Brooklyn Nets vs. Boston Celtics (5:00 p.m. ET, ABC)
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8:00 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)
LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Important Dates for NBL 2024-21

December 22-March 4: First half of regular season
March 5-10: All-Star break
March 11-May 16: Second half of regular season
May 18-21: Play-In tournament
May 22-July 22: Playoffs

It is very evident to note that the new season can’t start from October 2024 as the previous season itself was concluded in the same month adding on as per the rules of NBA teams must be given 8 weeks prior notice regarding the start of the new season.

Thus the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) both are rooting for a 22 December 2024 start so that the league can uphold all the 82 games and even the season would finish before July, thus not having to clash with the Tokyo Olympics 2024. As per reports, there are two potential start dates for the 2024-21 NBA season – December 22 and January 18.

That’s not all as another or an arguably major reason for the Christmas push is to reduce their financial loss. Yes, the NBA due to COVID, delays, and hiatus will have to bear a loss of $500 million up to $1 Billion. If the games are reduced and the season is started after Christmas then the expense of loss will rise accordingly.

However, here is what the twist is, as per the NBA commissioner the teams and the players have given negative feedback for the Christmas date. Thus the new start date for the 2024-21 NBA season which the players have given a nod for is 18th January 2024.

As per reports, the NBA 2024 season will commence from 18 January 2024 on King Martin Luther’s Day. While this date would see the games being reduced from 82 to just 50. Moreover, there is a higher possibility of the season clashing with the Tokyo Olympics thus putting the US team’s participation in jeopardy.

It doesn’t matter whether the league start in December or January, the fans just want to know the confirmed the NBA 2024-21 schedule.

Here are the NBA fixtures of the last edition (All times are in ET). We’ll update about the NBA 2024 fixtures here once it released.

DayDateTime (ET)Game
SaturdayOct. 265 p.m.Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
  7:30 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
  10 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Phoenix Suns
MondayOct. 288 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans
  10:30 p.m.Charlotte Hornets vs. LA Clippers
TuesdayOct. 297:30 p.m.Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat
  10:30 p.m.Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers
SaturdayNov. 27 p.m.Denver Nuggets vs. Orlando Magic
  10 p.m.Philadelphia 76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
MondayNov. 47:30 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Brooklyn Nets
  10:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors
TuesdayNov. 58 p.m.Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls
FridayNov. 810:30 p.m.Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers
MondayNov. 118 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans
  10:30 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. LA Clippers
TuesdayNov. 127 p.m.Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  10 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Sacramento Kings
SaturdayNov. 166 p.m.Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
MondayNov. 187:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets
TuesdayNov. 198 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. New Orleans Pelicans
  10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
SaturdayNov. 239 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz
MondayNov. 258 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. Milwaukee Bucks
  10:30 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors
TuesdayNov. 268:30 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks
FridayNov. 298 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
  10:30 p.m.Washington Wizards vs. Los Angeles Lakers
SaturdayNov. 307 p.m.Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
MondayDec. 27 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  10 p.m.Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings
WednesdayDec. 49 p.m.Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz
ThursdayDec. 57:30 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. Toronto Raptors
SaturdayDec. 77:30 p.m.Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers
MondayDec. 98 p.m.Detroit Pistons vs. New Orleans Pelicans
SaturdayDec. 145 p.m.San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns
  7:30 p.m.Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
SundayDec. 158 p.m.New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets
MondayDec. 168 p.m.Dallas Mavericks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
TuesdayDec. 177 p.m.Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers
  10:30 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. LA Clippers
SaturdayDec. 217 p.m.Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers
SundayDec. 227 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
  9:30 p.m.Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
MondayDec. 237 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Indiana Pacers
  10 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Portland Trail Blazers
FridayDec. 277 p.m.Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic
  10:30 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors
SundayDec. 298 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans
MondayDec. 307 p.m.Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic
  10 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers
TuesdayDec. 317 p.m.Denver Nuggets vs. Houston Rockets
WednesdayJan. 18 p.m.Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks
ThursdayJan. 28 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
  10:30 p.m.Detroit Pistons vs. LA Clippers
MondayJan. 67 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  10 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings
TuesdayJan. 77:30 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets
  10:30 p.m.New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
TuesdayJan. 147:30 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. Brooklyn Nets
  10:30 p.m.Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
SaturdayJan. 186 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets
MondayJan. 202:30 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks
TuesdayJan. 218:30 p.m.LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks
FridayJan. 243 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets
  10:30 p.m.Indiana Pacers vs. Golden State Warriors
SundayJan. 263:30 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets
  9 p.m.Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
MondayJan. 279 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz
MondayFeb. 37:30 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks
  10:30 p.m.San Antonio Spurs vs. LA Clippers
SundayFeb. 93:30 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
  7 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets
MondayFeb. 108 p.m.Sacramento Kings vs. Milwaukee Bucks
  10:30 p.m.Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
SundayFeb. 236 p.m.Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets
  8:30 p.m.New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors
MondayFeb. 247 p.m.Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  10:30 p.m.Memphis Grizzlies vs. LA Clippers
MondayMar. 27:30 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat
SundayMar. 86 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics
  9 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Sacramento Kings
MondayMar. 99 p.m.Milwaukee Bucks vs. Denver Nuggets
FridayMar. 138 p.m.Washington Wizards vs. Boston Celtics
  10:30 p.m.Brooklyn Nets vs. LA Clippers
TuesdayMar. 177 p.m.Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons
  10 p.m.Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings
ThursdayMar. 198 p.m.Sacramento Kings vs. Houston Rockets
FridayMar. 207:30 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors
SaturdayMar. 217 p.m.Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
SundayMar. 227 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs
MondayMar. 238:30 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
ThursdayMar. 268:30 p.m.Utah Jazz vs. Dallas Mavericks
FridayMar. 277:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics
SundayMar. 296 p.m.Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics
  8:30 p.m.San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors
MondayMar. 307:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Brooklyn Nets
  10:30 p.m.Indiana Pacers vs. LA Clippers
FridayApr. 38:30 p.m.Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs
SundayApr. 51 p.m.Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers
  7 p.m.Toronto Raptors vs. Houston Rockets
  9:30 p.m.Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
FridayApr. 108:30 p.m.Philadelphia 76ers vs. San Antonio Spurs
SundayApr. 123:30 p.m.Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs
  7 p.m.Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
  9:30 p.m.Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers
MondayApr. 137 p.m.Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons
  10:30 p.m.Portland Trail Blazers vs. Golden State Warriors

Teams

There are 30 teams in the NBA divided into 2 conferences and 6 divisions and each division consist of 5 teams each. There are 29 teams from the United States Of America and one team from Canada, which is the Toronto Raptors.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Toronto Raptors

Central

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Milwaukee Bucks

Southeast

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Miami Heat
  • Orlando Magic
  • Washington Wizards

Western Conference

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Houston Rockets
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • San Antonio Spurs

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Utah Jazz

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Sacramento Kings 

Thus one of the major issues for any competition and country is to create a secure bio bubble which even the NBA has to comply with. But due to travel restrictions between the USA and Canada, Toronto Raptors are looking to shift their base to the USA for this season as they even have reportedly enquired about the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

2020/21 NBA Draft

The 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on 18th November 2024 while the broadcasting rights for the 9th straight year have been given to ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.