NBA season preview 2025-26

REGULAR SEASON: OCT 21, 2025 - APR 12, 2026 	NBA FINALS TIP-OFF: JUN 4, 2026

The 80th National Basketball Association season launches
with the Oklahoma City Thunder as reigning champions after
beating the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals –
extending a remarkable streak of equivalence
across the league, with seven different
title holders since 2019


BUILDING DYNASTIES: Oklahoma star Shai Gilgeous-
Alexander (left) signed four-year extension in July –
NBA Finals “Most Valuable Player” averaged
lethal 32.7pts in 2024-25 regular season

Oklahoma City Thunder spending power:

$822m Spending cap increased to retain crucial
“Big Three” core of title-winning roster

$287m Jalen Williams (Rookie extension, 2026-30)

$285m Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2027-30)

$250m Chet Holmgren (2026-30)


RACE AGAINST TIME: LeBron James (below) is set to become
first player to play across 23 separate NBA seasons –
despite missing opening fixtures with sciatica

MOST POINTS IN NBA HISTORY
Regular season and play-offs

LeBron James	Games: 1854	50,473
Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, LA Lakers

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1797	44,149
Milwaukee Bucks, LA Lakers	

Karl Malone		1669	41,689
Utah Jazz, LA Lakers
	
Kobe Bryant		1566	39,283
LA Lakers

Michael Jordan		1251	38,279
Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards

Kevin Durant		1293	35,556
Oklahoma, Golden State, Nets, Suns


GUIDE TO BASKETBALL: OBJECTIVE

Two teams of five players try to score points by shooting
ball into opposition’s basket – switching between
offence and defence

Game duration: 4 x 12-min periods
(5-min overtime periods if scores level)

Free throw line:
Up to three throws
awarded for
fouls

Ball diameter:
24.8cm
(29.5in)

28m

Shot clock:
Team must attempt
shot within 24 seconds

15m

3-point
arc

Elevated basket
Hoop height
3.05m

1 Point guard

2 Shooting
guard

3
Small
forward

4
Power
forward

5
Center

SCORING

Every shot from inside arc
awarded 2pts

Shots from behind arc: 3pts

Successful free throw: 1pt


NBA Franchises

Two conferences, each with
15 teams divided into three divisions:

Regular
season games
82


Trail Blazers
Division:
Northwest

Warriors
Pacific

Kings
Pacific

Clippers
Pacific

Jazz
Northwest

Suns
Pacific

Lakers
Pacific

Nuggets
Northwest

Mavericks
Southwest

Thunder
Northwest

Timberwolves
Northwest

Bucks
Central

Bulls
Central

Grizzlies
Southwest

Rockets, Southwest

Spurs, Southwest

Pelicans
Southwest

Pacers
Central

Pistons
Central

Toronto Raptors
Atlantic

Cavaliers
Central

Celtics
Atlantic

Knicks
Atlantic

Nets, Atlantic

76ers,Atlantic

Wizards
Southeast

Hornets, Southeast

Hawks
Southeast

Magic
Southeast

Heat
Southeast



Cooper
Flagg
Dallas Mavericks.
Selected as first
overall pick
of NBA
draft


Opening fixtures
Away team 	All games Oct 22 except where indicated 	Home team
Houston Rockets		Paycom Center (Oct 21)			Oklahoma City Thunder
Golden State Warriors	Crypto.com Arena (Oct 21)		Los Angeles Lakers
Cleveland Cavaliers	Madison Square Garden			New York Knicks
Brooklyn Nets		Spectrum Center				Charlotte Hornets
Miami Heat		Kia Center				Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors		State Farm Arena			Atlanta Hawks
Philadelphia 76ers	TD Garden				Boston Celtics
Detroit Pistons		United Center				Chicago Bulls
New Orleans Pelicans	FedEx Forum				Memphis Grizzlies
Washington Wizards	Fiserv Forum				Milwaukee Bucks
Los Angeles Clippers	Delta Center				Utah Jazz
San Antonio Spurs	American Airlines Center		Dallas Mavericks
Sacramento Kings	Mortgage Matchup Center			Phoenix Suns
Minnesota T’wolves	Moda Center				Portland Trail Blazers
Oklahoma City*		Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Oct 23)		Indiana Pacers
Denver Nuggets		Chase Center (Oct 23)			Golden State Warriors

*Interleague game between Eastern and Western conference


NBA FINALS: Eastern Conference
teams hold 41-38 series advantage
over Western Conference
2025	Oklahoma bt	Indiana	4-2
2024	Boston		Dallas	4-1
2023	Denver		Miami	4-1
2022	Warriors	Boston	4-2
2021	Milwaukee	Phoenix 4-2
2020	LA Lakers	Miami	4-2
2019	Toronto		Warriors 4-2
2018	Warriors	Cleveland 4-0
2017	Warriors	Cleveland 4-1
2016	Cleveland	Warriors 4-3


Victor
Wembanyama
San Antonio
Spurs.
7ft 4in French
prodigy, 21,
primed for
breakthrough
season


Source: NBA
Pictures: Getty Images
© GRAPHIC NEWS