For the first time in 16 years, the Boston Celtics will open a new NBA season as the defending champions.
The Celtics won a league record 18th championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals back in June.
Winning a title is hard, but defending it is often tougher. The league has had a different champion six consecutive seasons. The last team to repeat as champs was the Golden State Warriors in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
The Celtics will open their championship defense against a longtime rival, the New York Knicks. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday that the C’s will get their rings and raise their 2024 banner on Tuesday, Oct. 22 versus the Knicks at TD Garden.
The entire 2024-25 schedule is expected to be released later this week, but leaks are already happening. Here’s a roundup of the latest reports and rumors surrounding the Celtics’ schedule for next season.
Opening Night
The Celtics will host the Knicks on Tuesday, Oct. 22 in the first game of the 2024-25 season, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. It will be the Celtics’ first championship banner raising ceremony since Oct. 28, 2008 versus LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
NBA Cup
The Celtics are in Group C for the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup. They will begin group play at home on Nov. 12 against the Atlanta Hawks at 7 p.m. ET. Boston will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m., then visit the Washington Wizards on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. and the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 29 at 8 p.m.
Christmas Day
The Celtics will play the rival Philadelphia 76ers at home Christmas Day, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The C’s beat the Lakers in Los Angeles on Christmas last year.
NBA Finals rematches
Celtics fans will have to wait until the new year to see a rematch of the 2024 NBA Finals. The Mavericks will host the Celtics on Jan. 25, and they will travel to Boston for a Feb. 6 matchup, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.