Key dates for 2021-22 NBA season: All-Star Game, playoffs, more originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2021-22 NBA season is getting closer and closer.
The 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas concludes on Tuesday night, meaning the next time we’ll see NBA basketball is in the preseason. Training camps get underway in late September with preseason action starting shortly after as the league returns to a more normal calendar this season.
From the start of training camp to Game 7 of the Finals, here are all of the key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season.
When do NBA training camps start?
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Training camps for the 2021-22 season open on Tuesday, Sept. 28.
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When does the 2021 NBA preseason start?
The first preseason game is on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET as Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets travel to Staples Center to face LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers. There are four more games on Oct 4., highlighted by the Atlanta Hawks visiting the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Golden State Warriors facing the Trail Blazers in Portland at 10 p.m. ET.
The preseason wraps up with a five-game slate on Friday, Oct. 15. You can check out the full schedule here.
When does the 2021-22 NBA season start?
The new NBA season kicks off on Tuesday, Oct. 19 with a pair of heavyweight showdowns. First, the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks host the Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals. Then the action shifts over to the Western Conference with the Warriors and Lakers battling in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET.
Here are the rest of the marquee matchups for the opening week of the season:
What are the 2021 NBA Christmas Day Games?
The NBA's Christmas Day slate features five must-see matchups. First, the New York Knicks seek revenge against the Hawks at 12 p.m. ET after Trae Young and Co. bounced them from the first round of last year's playoffs. Following the action at Madison Square Garden, the Boston Celtics will square off against the Bucks in Milwaukee at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The 5 p.m. ET slot features a potential Western Conference finals preview as the Warriors visit the Phoenix Suns, and that will be followed by a potential NBA Finals preview between the Nets and Lakers in L.A. at 8 p.m. ET. The Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz close out the day at 10:30 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City.
When is the 2022 NBA All-Star Game?
Cleveland is the host city for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The last time the NBA All-Star Game was in Cleveland was 1997. Other All-Star weekend events, like the Slam Dunk Contest, will take place over the two days prior to the All-Star Game.
When does the 2021-22 NBA season end?
The 82-game regular season comes to a close on Sunday, April 10.
When is the 2022 Play-In Tournament?
The NBA Play-In Tournament is back again in 2021-22, starting two days after the conclusion of the regular season. The Play-In Tournament runs from Tuesday, April 12 through Friday, April 15. The format of the tournament will remain the same as last year.
When do the 2022 NBA playoffs begin?
Once the final two seeds in each conference are decided through the Play-In Tournament, the NBA playoffs will start on Saturday, April 16.
When are the 2022 NBA Finals?
The 2021 NBA Finals began on July 6, but the 2022 Finals tip off on Thursday, June 2. If the Finals go the distance, Game 7 will be played on Sunday, June 19.
When is the 2022 NBA Draft?
Highly-touted prospects like Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero could hear their names called early at the 2022 NBA Draft, which is set for Thursday, June 23.
