The NBA will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day next January with four marquee matchups. The holiday will start out with a matinee contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and host Atlanta Hawks, followed by a visit from the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2025-26 NBA Schedule Release presented by Ticketmaster continues with the NBA on Prime debut and the full Emirates NBA Cup Group Play schedule.

In an NBA first, NBC Sports will present a quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will take place on January 19, 2026, across NBC and Peacock. It's all part of the NBA's triumphant return to NBC!

The NBA has unveiled several more marquee games from its 2025/26 schedule, featuring a total of 15 different teams.

The NBA on MLK Day 2025 will tip off with the Dallas Mavericks vs. Charlotte Hornets on NBA TV. Later, TNT will host a doubleheader with special pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

The NBA has been a mainstay on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for years and the 2025-26 season will see a huge schedule of games shown on NBC Sports.

Kevin Durant is debuting for the Houston Rockets at his old stomping grounds against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Golden State Warriors are taking on LeBron James and Luka Dončić,

The first NBA game on NBC since 2002 will pit the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder against the visiting Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21. The game features reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against Durant and the Rockets in a battle of two Western Conference contenders.

Boston will be the primetime matchup on MLK Day as part of NBC's broadcast on that day. They will be taking on the Pistons at 8 pm ET. Detroit is a team that a lot of pundits believe can make some noise in the Eastern Conference, with the Celtics expected to take a step back. That could be a good measuring stick game for both teams.