Lakers, Warriors, Rockets to get plenty of television time

NBA fans will get a smorgasbord of LeBron James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, the All-Star laden lineup of the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets and the up-and-coming Boston Celtics as part of the league’s national television schedule.

The NBA released its TV schedule for the first week of the season, Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Wednesday. All those teams are featured.

James Harden and the Rockets will appear three times on national TV in the opening week of the season, while the Lakers, Warriors and Celts will be featured twice.

The highlight of the coveted Christmas Day games is James facing a familiar foe — Stephen Curry and the Warriors — for a fourth straight year, only this time James will be wearing Lakers’ gold and purple rather than the familiar wine and gold colors of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

OPENING WEEK: The NBA season begins Oct. 16 with TNT televising the 76ers at the Celtics and the Thunder at the Warriors. The Pelicans visit the Rockets and Mavericks face the Suns on Oct. 17 on ESPN. On Oct. 18, the Bulls travel to face the 76ers and the Lakers visit the Trail Blazers, with both games on TNT. The Celtics will visit the Raptors on Oct. 19, while the Jazz host the Warriors on ESPN. The first nationally televised weekend games include the Raptors at Washington on NBA TV and Rockets-Lakers Oct. 20 on ESPN.

CHRISTMAS DAY: The Bucks and Knicks get things going at 10 a.m. on ESPN, followed by the Thunder-Rockets at 1 p.m. and 76ers-Celtics at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. The night games include LakersWarriors at 6 p.m. on ABC/ESPN capped by the Trail Blazers-Jazz at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY: The three nationally televised games on Jan. 21 include the Pelicans-Grizzlies, Rockets-76ers and Warriors-Lakers. Those games are on TNT.