The air is finally getting crisp, and if you’re like me, you’ve spent the last few months watching grainy pro-am highlights just to feel something. But the wait is over. If you’re asking when does the official nba season start, you probably want the short answer first: The 2025-26 NBA regular season officially tipped off on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
It wasn't just a soft launch. The league came out swinging with a massive doubleheader. We saw the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder—yeah, it still feels a bit wild to say that—taking on the Houston Rockets, followed by a heavyweight Western Conference clash between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
But "the start" is kinda a loaded term in the NBA.
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Honestly, the calendar is so packed now that the "official" start date is just one milestone in a marathon that begins in September and doesn't let up until June. You’ve got training camps, these weirdly intense Abu Dhabi preseason games, and now the NBA Cup, which has basically turned November into a playoff-lite atmosphere.
The Real Timeline of the 2025-26 Season
Most casual fans mark their calendars for late October. That’s fair. That’s when the wins and losses actually start to count toward the standings. But for the die-hards, the engines started humming way back on September 23, when media days kicked off for teams heading overseas.
By September 29, every veteran in the league was back in the gym for official training camps.
People forget that the "official" season is preceded by a preseason that’s becoming increasingly global. This year, we saw the Knicks and Sixers playing in Abu Dhabi on October 2. Then the league went to Macau. It’s a lot of jet lag for games that don't technically count, but it’s where the rotations actually get set.
Why the Start Date Is Only Half the Story
If you only tune in on opening night, you’re missing the rhythm of the modern NBA. The league has mastered the art of "mini-seasons."
Take the NBA Cup (formerly the In-Season Tournament). This thing started on October 31, 2025. It’s basically a season within a season. The New York Knicks ended up taking the trophy home this year, beating the Spurs in the final on December 16. Jalen Brunson snagged the MVP, and suddenly, games in early November felt like Game 7s.
Then you have the Christmas Day slate. For a lot of people, that is when the season truly starts. December 25, 2025, gave us five back-to-back games, including a spicy matchup where the Rockets' Kevin Durant went up against LeBron James. It’s the unofficial "moving day" where we start to see who’s actually a contender and who’s just been lucky for two months.
Key Dates You Actually Need to Know
Looking ahead is just as important as knowing when things started. The NBA is a fast-moving machine. Here is the breakdown of the 2025-26 roadmap as it stands right now:
- Regular Season Conclusion: April 12, 2026. This is the last day of the 82-game grind.
- Play-In Tournament: April 14–17, 2026. The most chaotic four days in basketball.
- NBA Playoffs Begin: April 18, 2026.
- NBA Finals Start: June 4, 2026.
Basically, if you missed the October start, you’ve still got plenty of time to catch the drama. We are currently in the thick of the mid-season grind, where the trade deadline (February 5) looms large and teams start panicking about their seeding.
The NBC and Peacock Factor
One thing that’s different about this season’s start is how you actually watch the games. This is the year the NBA returned to NBC after a 24-year hiatus. It’s weird hearing that old "Roundball Rock" theme song again, but it’s a welcome kind of weird.
Between NBC, ESPN, ABC, and Amazon Prime Video, the way we consume the "official start" has shifted. You’ve got games on Peacock now, which caught some fans off guard in October. If you’re trying to find a game tonight, it’s not just a matter of flipping to TNT anymore.
What to Watch For Right Now
Since the season is well underway, the focus has shifted from "when does it start" to "who is finishing strong."
We are seeing Cooper Flagg—the Dallas Mavericks' top pick—living up to the massive hype. Watching a rookie transition from the college start in November to the NBA grind in January is always a trip. He’s already looking like a vet.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference is a complete bloodbath. The Thunder are trying to defend their title, but the Spurs and Lakers aren't making it easy.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
- Sync Your Calendar: If you haven't already, sync the remaining schedule to your phone. The stretch between now and the February 15 All-Star Game in Inglewood is where the best League Pass hidden gems happen.
- Check the Play-In Standings: Don't just look at the top three seeds. The real drama is at the 7-10 spots. That's where the season effectively starts over in April.
- Monitor the Trade Deadline: February 5 is the "second start" of the season. Rosters will look vastly different on February 6.
The NBA doesn't really have an "off" switch anymore. While the official start was October 21, the narrative changes every week. Whether you’re a box-score watcher or a floor-seat dreamer, the 80th season of the NBA is proving to be one of the most unpredictable ones yet.