In the NBA on NBC return game, Kevin Durant’s Rockets will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on ring night. On Christmas, Houston plays a road game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Per @ShamsCharania , the #Rockets will be featured on NBA Opening Night & on Christmas Day – both on the road.
Oct. 21 🚀at Thunder
Dec. 25 🚀 at Lakers
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) August 8, 2025
The Houston Rockets acquired superstar forward Kevin Durant this offseason, and it’s quickly lifted them to top-tier status when it comes to NBA business.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Rockets will play at Oklahoma City on Tuesday, October 21, in the first game of the 2025-26 regular season and on what will be championship ring night for the Thunder. It will be televised on NBC, representing the network’s first NBA broadcast since 2002.
In another schedule leak, the Rockets will play at the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, December 25, as part of the league’s annual Christmas Day showcase.
Both games have a Durant connection, with Oklahoma City being where Durant played eight seasons early in his storied career. He won Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors with the Thunder in the 2013-14 season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are led by LeBron James, and the Durant-James rivalry has long been among the best individual battles of its basketball generation.
As a franchise, the Rockets last played on opening night in October 2017, and their previous Christmas matchup came in December 2019. Both were played at longtime rival Golden State, with the former a last-second win and the latter an upset loss.
The NBA is expected to release its complete schedule for the 2025-26 regular season within the next week, so consider these a juicy appetizer for Houston fans.