The NBA has a new date for the 2024-25 season’s premiere.
For the third consecutive season, the NBA has set the schedule for the American elections and the league is going even further next season. The day before the general election on November 5, all 30 teams will be in action on November 4.
Monday night will be the first of four 15-game days spread across the league next season. However, it is the only day with staggered start times.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Orlando Magic for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff at the Paycom Center. With games starting every 15 minutes from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Oklahoma City and Orlando will be the 10th matchup to begin that night.
A matchup between two of the most promising young teams coming off their first playoff appearances should be fun. And Magic star Paolo Banchero’s history with some of the Thunder’s stars will add an extra layer. In 2022, Banchero edged out Chet Holmgren in the draft and beat out Jalen Williams in the race for this season’s Rookie of the Year award.
Last season, the Thunder swept the series against the Magic. That included a game in Orlando just before the All-Star break that saw Williams score 33 points, the second-most prolific game of his career.
The NBA has made its pre-election program its latest initiative, as it seems to be the sports league par excellence when it comes to social justice. With an increased focus on social issues since the 2020 bubble, the NBA has made Election Day a day off to try to increase voter turnout among fans and players.
While the Thunder and the rest of the league will be off on the first Tuesday in November, they will have a fun early-season game right before that.
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