The Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing a familiar player during the first game of the season.
Cleveland will face LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 22.
The game will air on ESPN.
The remainder of the 2026 schedule will be released on Thursday.
After weeks of speculation over the summer, James announced his decision to finish his career in Philly.
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In a social media post, James said, "This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."
The “Kid from Akron” entered free agency on June 30, informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be returning to the franchise for the 2026-27 season. That announcement set off weeks of speculation, rumors and betting-market activity, ultimately delaying the release of the upcoming NBA regular-season schedule.
The rookie who would eventually be called The King started his career in Cleveland as a first-round pick by the Cavs in 2003. He spent his first seven seasons with the Cavs and made one NBA Finals (2007) before signing with the Miami Heat as an unrestricted free agent.
In his four seasons with the Heat, James went to the Finals each year, winning his first and second titles consecutively in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2015 season, and the Cavs became immediate title contenders, reaching the Finals that year but falling short to the Golden State Warriors.
In 2016, the Cavs faced the Warriors again in the Finals and became the first NBA team to come back from a 3–1 deficit, winning the Cavs' first-ever NBA Championship.
James left Cleveland once again in 2018 when he opted out of his contract after losing in the Finals to Golden State.
James has spent the last eight seasons with the Lakers, where his eldest son, Bronny James, also plays. In that time, he won one more championship, his fourth overall, during the 2019-2020 “COVID” season.
In his 24 seasons, James has made history with all three teams he's played for and is a four-time NBA Champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP and 22-time NBA All-Star.
