2021-22 NBA Schedule: Lakers, Nets, Bucks, Warriors Take Center Stage on Christmas Day and Opening Night

(Photo : Harry How/Getty Images) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after his basket in front of Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks at the Staples Center on March 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

We are only a couple of months away from the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, and excitement is building for the return of the best basketball league in the world. To further whet the appetite of sports fans everywhere, the NBA has released the league's Christmas Day schedule next season with the clash between powerhouse teams Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers taking center stage.

That game will feature six NBA superstars with Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden locking horns with the Lakers' LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and newly-acquired point guard Russell Westbrook.

It will be a reunion of sorts for Durant, Harden, and Westbrook, who played together before with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That contest will start at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and is part of the NBA's hectic five-game Christmas slate.

NBA lines up action-packed quintuple header on Christmas Day

The fun starts at noon with an action-packed triple-header before the Nets vs. Lakers clash. Leading things off is the showdown between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks, with ESPN providing the live broadcast. It will be their first meeting since their 2021 playoff series, and it will be interesting to see Trae Young's reception in his return to Madison Square Garden.

Following that game at 2:30 p.m. is the clash between defending champions Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. Then at 5 p.m., the Golden State Warriors take on reigning Western Conference champs Phoenix Suns, with the game hopefully featuring a healthy Klay Thompson. Both of those games will be shown live on ABC.

Another game will be featured after the Nets vs. Lakers showdown as Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks square off with the Donovan Mitchell-led Utah Jazz. That game will start at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be shown live on ESPN.

Bucks vs. Nets and Lakers vs. Warriors to open 2021-22 NBA season

The league also released an initial list of games for the new season's opening week, and there are some fun matchups in store for fans. As per tradition, the 2021-22 NBA season will open at the home of the reigning champs on October 19, with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets in a rematch of their fantastic Eastern Conference Semifinal series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant had a showdown for the ages in Game 7 of that series, with the Bucks eventually prevailing in an overtime thriller. The Bucks eventually went on to win the championship, with Giannis delivering a 50-piece in the Finals decider.

Of course, the Lakers will also be making an appearance on Opening Night, given their constellation of superstars, as they will host the Warriors in a marquee Western Conference matchup. Both games will be shown live on TNT, with action starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.