When Does the NBA Season Start – 2024-25 Schedule Key Dates

The 2024-25 NBA regular season tipped off on October 22, 2024, marking the beginning of an 82-game journey that would ultimately crown the Oklahoma City Thunder as champions. For fans, analysts, and fantasy managers alike, knowing exactly when the NBA season starts—and what milestones follow—forms the backbone of any basketball calendar.

Opening night featured a marquee doubleheader on TNT. The Boston Celtics hosted the New York Knicks in a matchup that doubled as a ring ceremony for Boston’s most recent championship, while the Minnesota Timberwolves traveled to face the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena. The rest of the league followed the next day, with games including the Milwaukee Bucks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns heading to the newly opened Intuit Dome to face the LA Clippers.

Below is a comprehensive breakdown of when the NBA season starts, the key dates that shaped the 2024-25 calendar, and the milestones every basketball follower should have on their radar.

When Does the 2024-25 NBA Season Start?

The 2024-25 NBA regular season officially began on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. This date launched a season that would run through April 13, 2025, with each of the league’s 30 teams playing 82 games before the postseason commenced.

Opening Night Snapshot

2024-25 Season at a Glance

Key Insights for the Season Ahead

• October 22 marked the earliest regular-season start in recent memory, reflecting the league’s preference for a more spacious postseason calendar.
• The Intuit Dome debut for the Clippers on October 23 gave the franchise a symbolic new homecoming moment against Phoenix.
• The Emirates NBA Cup, running from November 12 through December 17, added a mid-season tournament layer to the schedule, with the Bucks defeating the Thunder in the championship game.
• Christmas Day featured five nationally televised games, headlined by Lakers at Warriors and Nuggets at Suns.
• International audiences saw the NBA travel to Mexico City (November 2, Heat vs. Wizards) and Paris (January 23–25, Spurs vs. Pacers).
• The trade deadline fell on February 6 at 3 p.m. ET, a standard mid-season cutoff that generated notable movement across several contenders.
• All-Star Weekend took place February 14–16 at Chase Center in San Francisco, with the All-Star Game played on February 16.

NBA Preseason and Training Camp Dates

Before the first regular-season ball was tossed, teams spent several weeks preparing through media availabilities, training camps, and preseason games. These dates set the rhythm for how organizations shaped their rosters heading into the season.

Media Day and Training Camp

Media day for the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets took place on September 24, 2024, two days ahead of the rest of the league. Training camps opened the following day for those two teams on September 25, while the remaining 28 franchises opened their camps on October 1. This staggered approach allowed the two most recently active teams extra recovery and preparation time after extended playoff runs the previous spring.

Preseason Schedule

The most internationally prominent preseason event saw the Celtics and Nuggets face off in Abu Dhabi on October 4 and October 6. All preseason activity across the league concluded by October 18, leaving a brief four-day window before the regular season opened. Additional offseason dates included the NBA G League draft on October 26, G League camps opening October 28, and the rookie scale options deadline on October 31.

Full 2024-25 NBA Schedule Overview

Beyond the opening weeks, the 2024-25 schedule featured several layers of competition and showcase events that went beyond standard regular-season play. Each team played 82 games, distributed across home and away matchups with divisional rivals and interconference opponents.

Emirates NBA Cup (In-Season Tournament)

Returning for its second iteration, the Emirates NBA Cup ran concurrently with the regular season between November 12 and December 17. The group stage wrapped December 3, quarterfinals took place December 10–11, and semifinals were held on December 14. The Bucks claimed the title with a win over the Thunder on December 17. Throughout this period, waiver priority shifted to 2024-25 records on December 1, and most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15.

International and Special Event Games

Two international games punctuated the regular calendar. The NBA Mexico City Game on November 2 featured the Miami Heat against the Washington Wizards, bringing regular-season basketball to a passionate Mexican fan base. Later, the NBA Paris Games on January 23 and 25 showcased the San Antonio Spurs against the Indiana Pacers at Accor Arena. A finals rematch between the Celtics and Dallas Mavericks occurred on January 25, adding narrative intrigue to the mid-season stretch.

Christmas Day Showcase

Five games filled Christmas Day, December 25, a longstanding NBA tradition. The schedule included Spurs at Knicks (noon ET), Timberwolves at Mavericks (2:30 p.m.), 76ers at Celtics (5 p.m.), Lakers at Warriors (8 p.m.), and Nuggets at Suns (10:30 p.m.). These games drew significant national television audiences and served as a mid-season reset point for many franchises.

Key Mid-Season Dates

• January 5: Teams may sign players to 10-day contracts.
• January 7: Last day to waive non-guaranteed contracts before the January 10 guarantee date.
• February 6: Trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET.
• February 14–16: All-Star Weekend at Chase Center, San Francisco.

Key Dates: Playoffs, All-Star, and Finals

The culmination of the 2024-25 season unfolded across three distinct postseason phases: the play-in tournament, the playoffs proper, and the NBA Finals. Each stage carried its own drama and scheduling considerations.

All-Star Weekend

All-Star Weekend landed February 14–16, 2025, at Chase Center in San Francisco. The main All-Star Game was played on February 16, preceded by the Rising Stars Challenge and skills competitions on the earlier dates. This weekend served as a mid-season checkpoint, giving players a brief respite and giving fans a nationally televised celebration of the league’s top talent.

Play-in Tournament

Following the conclusion of the regular season on April 13, the play-in tournament ran from April 15 through April 18. This format, which has been in place since 2020, allows teams seeded seventh through tenth in each conference to compete for the final two playoff spots. Four games across those four days determined which clubs advanced to join the top six seeds in the first round.

NBA Finals Outcome

The 2024-25 season ended with the Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games on June 22, 2025. The series provided a dramatic conclusion to a season that began seven months earlier on an October evening in Boston and Los Angeles.

Confirmed Dates and Schedule Flexibility

The NBA released the full 2024-25 schedule in advance, with the 82-game format per team remaining unchanged from previous seasons. Rivalry matchups such as Knicks-Celtics and Lakers-Warriors received prominent placement throughout the calendar, particularly on national television windows.

What Is Confirmed

• Regular-season start: October 22, 2024
• Regular-season end: April 13, 2025
• Playoffs begin: April 19, 2025
• All-Star Game: February 16, 2025
• NBA Finals conclusion: June 22, 2025

Subject to Change

While the league has historically maintained the published schedule, disruptions caused by unforeseen circumstances—such as severe weather, labor actions, or public health considerations—can occasionally lead to adjustments. Any rescheduled games would be announced through official NBA communications and updated across partner broadcast platforms.

Historical Context for the 2024-25 Start

The October 22 start date placed the 2024-25 season among the earliest openings in recent memory. Historically, NBA seasons have begun anywhere from late October to early November, with variations influenced by the previous season’s postseason length and collective bargaining agreements. For those interested in exploring championship history, resources on NBA championship winners provide comprehensive context on how the league’s calendar has evolved.

The Celtics, as defending champions entering the season, carried significant expectations following their championship run. Their opening-night ring ceremony against the Knicks reflected the league’s tradition of honoring recent title winners in high-visibility season-opening slots. This combination of championship recognition and a storied rivalry created one of the more anticipated opening nights in recent years.

The introduction of the Intuit Dome for the Clippers and the continued expansion of international games into Mexico City and Paris demonstrated the league’s ongoing effort to grow its global footprint while maintaining a consistent domestic schedule structure.

Sources and League Communications

The schedule details and dates outlined above draw from multiple verified sources covering NBA announcements and basketball reporting. ESPN, CBS Sports, and Wikipedia compiled comprehensive date listings that aligned closely with the league’s official releases.

The 2024-25 schedule reflects our commitment to showcasing the NBA’s best rivalries and delivering world-class basketball across the globe, from opening night to the Finals.

— NBA official communications, as reported by ESPN and CBS Sports

Coverage from basketball-focused outlets provided corroborating detail across every phase of the calendar, from training camp through the championship series. These sources collectively offer a reliable foundation for the dates and matchups described throughout this article.

Summary

The 2024-25 NBA season started on October 22, 2024, with the Celtics hosting the Knicks and the Timberwolves visiting the Lakers in a doubleheader broadcast nationally on TNT. From that point, the league moved through a full 82-game schedule, the Emirates NBA Cup, international games in Mexico City and Paris, the All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, and ultimately concluded with the Thunder’s championship on June 22, 2025. Understanding these milestones helps fans plan their viewing and stay informed as the season unfolds from start to finish. For those tracking specific matchups, resources like Eglinton LRT Opening Date – Revenue Service Now Operational and 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams Match Player Stats – Full 2024 Breakdown offer additional sports context beyond the hardwood.

Frequently Asked Questions