Here’s why the NBA season is opening with an afternoon game in Detroit

The NBA opened its 81st season with a 3 p.m. ET afternoon game between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics as part of an NBC tripleheader. This scheduling breaks the league's typical tradition of holding two opening-night primetime matchups, with the afternoon addition stemming from the league's media rights agreement with NBC to create an expanded, daylong opening broadcast.

The afternoon start also targets international viewers across Europe, West Africa, and Asia as the league aims to expand its global reach ahead of an NBA Europe launch by October 2027. Following the Detroit game, the defending champion New York Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET, and the San Antonio Spurs host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 p.m. ET.