We are inching closer and closer to seeing LeBron James in the purple and gold.
According to the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Los Angeles Lakers will open the season on the road, facing the Portland Trail Blazers on October 18th. The NBA season will begin on the 16th.
This is the second marquee event for the Lakers to be leaked and both will be on the road. The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that the team will be in Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.
The NBA is expected to reveal the schedule for opening week, Christmas, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at 2 PM EST on Wednesday.
The Lakers are expected to be an enormous road draw, even more so than usual. With James leading the team, they will surely draw large numbers of both opposing and supporting fans across all 29 cities in the league.
The Blazers and Lakers have a fairly historic rivalry but in recent years, the Blazers have dominated the matchup. The Lakers lead the all-time series 118-105.
With other storylines to market, it’s a little surprising that the NBA did not opt for renewing the Celtics rivalry or having Paul George and the Thunder visit Staples, but that could be the featured event for the home opener, which should be announced shortly.
3 thoughts