Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder Host Kevin Durant and Houston Rockets in First NBA Tip-Off Game Tomorrow on NBC and Peacock – Pre-Game Coverage Begins Live from OKC with NBA Showtime at 6:30 p.m. ET (Tip-Off at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Halftime Coverage to Feature a Portion of Mike Tirico’s Interview with Michael Jordan in the First Installment of MJ: Insights to Excellence
Following Rockets-Thunder, Two-Time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and Golden State Warriors Visit Five-Time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić and Los Angeles Lakers on NBC and Peacock at 10 p.m. ET
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 20, 2025 – The wait is over! The NBA returns to NBC after two decades and makes its debut on Peacock tomorrow, Oct. 20, with the American Express NBA Tip-Off as reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder raise their championship banner before hosting the Houston Rockets and 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, making his Rockets debut against the team he spent the first nine seasons of his career with, from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with NBA Showtime followed by tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Halftime coverage of Rockets-Thunder will be highlighted by a portion of an interview between Mike Tirico and Michael Jordan in the first installment of MJ: Insights to Excellence, a series that will air throughout the season.
There will be 8,532 days between NBC Sports’ last NBA game – Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals when the Los Angeles Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002 – and its 2025-26 season debut tomorrow on NBC and Peacock.
The Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games in June to win the franchise’s first championship in Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander won his first career NBA MVP award and was selected to his third consecutive All-NBA First Team and All-Star Game. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, and a scoring title in the same season. Thunder forward Jalen Williams was named to his first All-Star team and All-NBA Third Team.
Durant makes his Rockets debut tomorrow night after being traded from the Phoenix Suns in July. Durant spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Thunder, making seven All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, and winning four scoring titles and the 2014 MVP award, and is still the franchise leader in points per game. Houston will also be led by ascending players Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analysts), and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter) will call Rockets-Thunder.
Coverage of American Express NBA Tip-Off begins with the pregame show NBA Showtime at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock on-site at Paycom Center and will feature host Maria Taylor with Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. The pre- and post-game show will be sponsored by State Farm, with American Express at the Half serving as the halftime show for both games.
WARRIORS-LAKERS
Following Rockets-Thunder, two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors visit five-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., at 10 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Curry and the Warriors are coming off a season in which they advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals. Curry, who is entering his 17th season with the franchise and has won four NBA titles with the team, was named to both the NBA All-Star team and All-NBA Second Team last season. Golden State will also be led by six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, in his first full season with the Warriors, and four-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green.
Doncic enters his first full season with the Lakers after being traded from the Mavericks in February. He will lead the Lakers tomorrow night alongside emerging shooting guard Austin Reaves and veteran center Deandre Ayton. Four-time NBA MVP and 21-time NBA All-Star LeBron James will miss the game due to injury. The Lakers are coming off a first round exit to the Timberwolves last season.
Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill (analyst), and Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline reporter) will call Warriors-Lakers.
NBC’s coverage of the NBA is led by coordinating producer Frank DiGraci and director Pierre Moossa. Sam Flood is Executive Producer & President, NBC Sports Production.
NBA Showtime precedes every NBA game on NBC and Peacock aside from Sunday Night Basketball, beginning Feb. 1. The coordinating producer of NBA Showtime is Adam Littlefield. NBA Showtime is directed by Jared Sumner.
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UPCOMING COVERAGE
NBC Sports’ NBA slate next week features the debut of Peacock NBA Monday on Oct. 27 with doubleheader, beginning with the debut of “On the Bench,” with Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets facing Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday debuts on Oct. 28, with Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks visiting two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, followed by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors hosting Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers at 11 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The 2025 NBA Mexico City Game – NBC Sports’ only Saturday night regular season game – features No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks facing Cunningham and the Pistons from Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 10 p.m. ET on Peacock.
For NBC Sports’ complete 2025-26 NBA regular-season schedule, click here.
ABOUT NBC SPORTS
NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports possesses an unparalleled collection of media rights agreements, partnering and presenting many of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Notre Dame, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Big 12 Conference, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s No. 1 show for 14 consecutive years.
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