The Los Angeles Lakers are not selected for the NBA’s Opening Night schedule for the first time in eight years, according to multiple outlets. The decision comes after LeBron James leaves the team, moving to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The reports frame the scheduling outcome as notable because the Lakers had been featured on Opening Night consistently for nearly a decade. Yahoo Sports and the New York Post both connect the change to the offseason roster shift involving James, implying the team’s altered status affects marquee scheduling selections.
The coverage is focused on the immediate scheduling absence rather than providing specific league-wide criteria or comparable cases involving other teams. Both outlets present the same basic fact—Lakers’ omission from Opening Night—and place it in the context of James’ departure, without detailing additional reasons from the NBA.
