LeBron James’ 76ers debut set for blockbuster Knicks showdown at MSG

The Philadelphia 76ers will play the New York Knicks in LeBron James' debut with his new squad on opening night. (This video contains AI-assisted content)

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