Knicks Open 2025-26 Season vs. Elite Foe

The New York Knicks will have an instant opportunity to prove their mettle against one of the Association's finest.

Apr 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are getting some early opportunities to see just how much Cleveland rocks.

ESPN announced on Tuesday that the Knicks will be a part of their first night of coverage for the 2025-26 season: the Worldwide Leader will host the Knicks' first game of an anticipated season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.

It's part of a high-profile doubleheader that will close with a Texas battle between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.

This October, @ESPNNBA tips off its coverage of the '25-'26 #NBA season with 2 opening week doubleheaders

Details: https://t.co/uRNgXxd5vO pic.twitter.com/v1bsM9fWhI

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 12, 2025

The NBA is certainly getting its worth out of the Knicks-Cavs series: ESPN's Shams Charania previously reported that the two sides would open the 2025 Christmas slate at MSG, a matchup that the network also confirmed on Tuesday.

The most prominent showdowns between the two sides landed on the 2023 postseason bracket, which saw the Knicks take down the Cavs in five games after Cleveland won the transactional battle for the services of former Utah Jazz star and New York native Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs earned delayed revenge last season, as it took all four of last year's regular season meetings on the docket.

This time around, any premature prognosticators view New York and Cleveland as the top couple in the Eastern Conference amidst several unfortunate happenings at the headquarters of other contenders.

The Cavs finished atop the East last year with a 64-18 record while the Knicks placed third and eventually reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Both teams were vanquished by the eventual Eastern champion Indiana Pacers: the injury-riddled Cavs lost a five-game conference semifinal set while the Knicks took them to six in the final four.

Feb 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In addition to New York native and recurring Knicks trade target Donovan Mitchell making another high-profile showing at MSG, new headlines have entered the budding rivalry. Over the offseason, the Knicks hired former Cavs boss Mike Brown to succeed Tom Thibodeau in the head coach's spot.

Having lost All-Star backcourt threat Darius Garland to injury during the aforementioned series against the Pacers, the Cavs bolstered their bench by trading for former Chicago Bull Lonzo Ball. The Knicks likewise deepened their depth by adding Guerschon Yabusele and former Cavalier Jordan Clarkson to a second unit that finished dead-last in scoring last year.

New York will look to alter its success on opening night: the Knicks have lost each of their last three opening showdown, including a 132-109 shellacking at the hands of the defending champion Boston Celtics last fall.

The Knicks' 2025-26 schedule will be released in its entirety later this week.

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