The NBA has announced a five-game Christmas Day schedule that will feature a showdown between the star-studded Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Following a shortened offseason, the 2021/22 regular season is scheduled to begin on October 19 with two games, also showcasing the Nets and Lakers.
The champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Nets and the Lakers will be visited by Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Other games on the December 25 slate include the Atlanta Hawks meeting the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in a rematch of the Hawks' first-round, five-game playoff series win, as well as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks meeting Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The full schedule for the 82-game season will be released on August 20.
A matchup between the Nets and Lakers is a chance for fans to decide who has the better "big three" as the game - if all are healthy - would showcase Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving against the Los Angeles trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the newly acquired Russell Westbrook.
The Nets and Lakers are slated as clear favourites to win their respective conferences and the 2021/22 NBA title.
The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will take place on February 20, in Cleveland. The regular season is scheduled to end on April 10.
Following the April 12-15 play-in tournament, the NBA playoffs are scheduled to open on April 16.
