LeBron James and 76ers will face the Knicks at MSG on NBA opening night

LeBron James’ first game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers will come at the world’s most famous arena.

James’ 76ers will take on the defending NBA champion New York Knicks on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden on the NBA’s opening night of the 2026-27 season. Knicks-76ers is the first of three games on the NBA’s opening night.

The NBA season will begin when the Boston Celtics take on the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET and conclude when the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET.

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks toward his bench after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half of Game 1 of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on May 5, 2026. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)

The Knicks-76ers matchup is a rematch of the 2026 Eastern Conference semifinals, a series in which the Knicks swept the 76ers in four games.

The Knicks are returning most of the same core that dominated the NBA playoffs and won the title, with the only notable loss being backup center and defensive stalwart Mitchell Robinson. Robinson signed a three-year, $47.38 million contract with the Celtics.

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics look on during a game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 2023. (NBAE via Getty Images)

The 76ers, however, will look much different on opening night. Not only did they sign James, but they also pulled off a stunning trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

They acquired the 2024 Finals MVP for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2031 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick (best of the Golden State Warriors/Oklahoma City Thunder/Milwaukee Bucks) and a 2030 second-round pick (best of the Washington Wizards/Portland Trail Blazers/Phoenix Suns).

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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

With the additions of Brown and James, the 76ers’ starting lineup will likely be composed of VJ Edgecomb, Tyrese Maxey, Brown, James and Joel Embiid, forming one of the strongest lineups in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers’ revamped starting lineup’s first task will be taking down the reigning NBA champions on their home floor.

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