Long-standing opening night rivalries highlight 2022-23 NBA schedule

The NBA unveiled its schedule for the 2022-23 season Wednesday afternoon, which kicks off with a pair of long-standing rivalries involving the two teams that reached last season's NBA Finals.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 18, with the Philadelphia 76ers traveling to face their forever rivals, the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers heading up the Pacific coast to take on the 2022 NBA champion Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, on the night when Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will all be collecting their fourth championship rings.

Opening week will then continue Wednesday, when ESPN will have its first doubleheader of the season, kicked off by the New York Knicks traveling to Memphis to take on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. That will be followed by a rematch of last year's Western Conference semifinal between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in Phoenix — the site of Dallas' stunning rout to end the top-seeded Suns' season on their home court in Game 7 of that series.

In addition to those games, the Orlando Magic and top 2022 NBA draft pick Paolo Banchero will open their season in Detroit against the Detroit Pistons and the No. 1 selection in the 2021 NBA draft, guard Cade Cunningham, while Rudy Gobert will make his Minnesota Timberwolves debut at home against the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft, Chet Holmgren, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In addition, the New Orleans Pelicans — who will expect to have Zion Williamson on the court after he missed all of last season — will open in Brooklyn against the Nets, who, as of now, are still scheduled to have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons play