The NBA knows how to get its celebrations right. Established for decades, the league has consistently found creative ways to keep fans engaged during the holiday season, particularly around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
This year, the NBA has adopted a similar theory, scheduling a few exciting games on January 1 to kick off the new year. Of course, this is after the league had multiple fan-favorite teams play on Christmas Day.
What’s the NBA Schedule on New Year’s Day?
Although it adhered mainly to its usual scheduling style, the NBA introduced a few new features for the 2025-26 season. This included late-night EST games, something which had fans divided.
For the upcoming New Year’s Day on January 1, the NBA has a schedule of five games, each featuring an interesting matchup. Of course, a few games were scheduled for the late 10-10:30 p.m. time slot.
| Away | Home | Date and Time (EST) | Venue |
| Houston Rockets | Brooklyn Nets | January 1, 6:00 p.m. | Barclays Center |
| Miami Heat | Detroit Pistons | January 1, 7:00 p.m. | Little Caesars Arena |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Dallas Mavericks | January 1, 8:30 p.m. | American Airlines Center |
| Boston Celtics | Sacramento Kings | January 1, 10:00 p.m. | Golden 1 Center |
| Utah Jazz | LA Clippers | January 1, 10:30 p.m. | Intuit Dome |
New Year’s Day would begin with a Nets-Rockets clash, followed by three other games, and conclude with the Clippers and Jazz.
Most of these games will be available to stream through the NBA League Pass. Furthermore, the Jazz-Clippers game will be available on YouTube. One can also sign up with Fubo TV, which also streams NBA games.
Having said that, local channels (and some national channels) will be broadcasting the game live for those who wish to view it on TV.
Ticketing for the games has already begun, with tickets in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center starting from $31.08. Tickets at the Barclays Center, however, begin at $91.20 and can also reach up to over $7,300 for courtside tickets.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Has Big Plans for the League
With the league attracting new viewers every year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has ambitious plans to expand the business. This spans to other US cities waiting to start an NBA team, and the NBA expanding to Europe for more connectivity and impact.
However, the plans are still in progress.
In a recent interview, Silver spoke about the NBA’s expansion, providing an update for eager fans.
“I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them. And then sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination,” Silver explained.
He also explained that the WNBA already has successful teams in cities like Las Vegas (Aces) and Seattle (Storm), making them the obvious choices for expansion.
The current league — with 30 teams — might have to wait before expecting a significant change. Fans, on their end, wait eagerly as the league decides, satisfied with cheering for the teams at the ongoing 2025-26 season.