The NBA announced its opening night on Saturday and it will be on October 18th with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visiting the defending champion, Golden State Warriors. They will also be given their title rings prior to tip-off.
Scheduled for the NBA’s 2022-23 opening night and ring ceremony on TNT: Lakers at Warriors, Oct. 18, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 13, 2022
The Lakers will be looking to get started on the right foot with new head coach Darvin Ham, who is expected to make this team a lot better from a defensive standpoint. He's committed to using Russell Westbrook in a specific way, but there is still a chance the guard could be traded this offseason. It's pretty unlikely given his monstrous salary, though. If Anthony Davis can stay healthy, the duo of LeBron James and AD should be enough to get LA back to the postseason at the very least.
As for the Warriors, they just won their fourth title in seven years after beating the Boston Celtics in the Finals. Steph Curry finally captured a Finals MVP as he led the Dubs to glory.
The Lakers and Warriors are two of the most popular teams in the entire Association therefore it's not exactly surprising that the NBA is giving them the opportunity to be the headliners of opening night. Despite LA's atrocious campaign in 2021-22, they still have a massive fanbase and following. The same can be said for Golden State, which kept its dynasty alive.
The game will be televised on TNT. You can expect Shaq and the crew to provide some awesome analysis before and after the contest. October 18th can't come soon enough.
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