Why Celtics-Pistons showdown is opening NBA season in afternoon

The NBA on Tuesday released its schedule for opening week and Christmas Day, tickling the fans with a slew of must-see matchups.

Opening day is set on October 20 with a triple-header. The curtain-raiser will feature the Detroit Pistons hosting the Boston Celtics at Little Caesars Arena. It will be a clash between two contenders in the Eastern Conference, with Cade Cunningham and Jayson Tatum expected to carry their respective units.

Fans, however, were surprised that the game was scheduled for 3 p.m. ET., which is way earlier than usual.

According to a report from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the NBA wanted to try something novel, hoping to generate more attention.

“I’ve talked to people around the league today, and they’re like, ‘We could sense the excitement for the NBA right now. So let’s experiment with this thing.’ They talked with executives at NBC, and it was kind of a joint decision that this is something we can turn into a celebration of the game,” wrote McMenamin.

“It’s already a marquee moment for the league. Let’s see if we can enhance it and turn it into a major showcase. Maybe down the line, this becomes a tradition for NBA fans. (Also, the NBA is) an international game. 3 p.m. Eastern is primetime viewing in Europe.”

After the clash between the Pistons and the Celtics, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers will battle at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder versus the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has often talked about keeping the NBA interesting and widening its global reach.

Last season, 170 million people watched the regular season across the league’s four primary broadcasting platforms, a whopping 86% increase and the highest viewership in 24 years.

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