NBA release schedule for 2023-24 season

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets will receive their championship rings and raise their title banner when the NBA tips off the regular season on October 24.

One night later, No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will introduce himself to the league.

The NBA revealed an 80-game schedule for the 2023-24 season on Thursday. The final two games will be determined later based on how teams fare in the new In-Season Tournament.

The season begins with a doubleheader, with the Nuggets opening things up against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch from last season's Western Conference finals.

Opening night's second game features the Phoenix Suns visiting Golden State, a matchup that pits new Warrior Chris Paul against his former team.

The NBA debut of Wembanyama comes one night later, with the San Antonio Spurs hosting the Dallas Mavericks.

The NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament begins on November 3, and concludes with the final four teams playing the semifinals and championship games in Las Vegas on December 7 and 9, respectively.

The traditional Christmas quintupleheader begins with the New York Knicks playing on December 25 for the 56th time, and they'll host the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Warriors then visit the Nuggets, followed by the Boston Celtics visiting the Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers visiting the Miami Heat and concluding with the Mavericks at Phoenix.

In an effort to maximise player rest and have the league's brightest stars play in high-profile games, teams will not play back-to-backs on Christmas or during the In-Season Tournament.

While teams play on consecutive nights slightly more this season - up to 14.0 such instances from last year's rate of 13.3 per team - back-to-backs involving travel are down to 9.0 on average after being at 9.6 per team last season.

The league takes a break from February 16-21, except for the All-Star Game and its festivities, which will take place in Indianapolis.

All 30 teams will play on April 12 and again two days later on the final day of the regular season.

The play-in tournament is then set to start April 16, with the 2024 NBA playoffs beginning April 20.