The NBA is starting the 2020-2021 regular season with a bang, headlined by the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Los Angeles Clippers, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The upcoming proceedings will commence on Dec. 22 and will tip off a 72-game season.

The first matchup doesn't have quite as much luster as hoped with Klay Thompson out for the season, but it features the first time superstar teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will play together for real after Durant missed all of last season recovering from an Achilles injury. Of course, this matchup also features KD going up against his former team.

The Warriors are coming off a dismal 15-50 campaign. Thompson missed last season as well, while Stephen Curry barely played due a hand injury. Even with Thompson out again for 2020-21, the new-looking Dubs are hoping to make noise in the Western Conference.

It's no surprise that the second tiff features a Battle for Los Angeles. The Lakers were the last team standing in the Orlando bubble after they defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win their 17th title in franchise history. LeBron James and the defending champions have some notable new faces on the roster, including former Clippers Montrezl Harrell.

The Clippers disappointed in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets, blowing a 3-1 lead and the opportunity for an epic matchup in the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. Tyronn Lue is taking over for Doc Rivers after a drama-filled season, and the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George superstar duo will be out for revenge.

These two matchups should be a lot of fun on Opening Night, and this NBA season is rapidly approaching a mere months after the Lakers won their 2020 title.