Top 5 MUST WATCH Lakers Games for the 2024-25 Season
In the immortalized words of Gambit, “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this?”. Today, we got the anticipated release of the NBA schedule, which means we are approaching the end of the summer sports drought. We are now officially 68 days from Lakers basketball.
THE LAKERS SCHEDULE JUST DROPPED! 📆
Comment which games you’re circling on your calendar 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zjcxs8BDM5
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) August 15, 2024
Last year’s schedule release wasn’t all too kind to the Purple and Gold, as the Lakers were tied for the most back-to-backs, were second most games as the fatigued team (Lakers on a B2B and opposition fresh), and were second-fewest in fresh games (Lakers fresh and opposition on a B2B).
Part of the Lakers’ schedule difficulty in recent years can largely be attributed to how talented the Western Conference has become. You can make a legitimate playoff case for 14 of the 15 Western Conference teams, which is astounding.
Now that we know the season’s slate, let’s break down the Lakers’ top five games to watch for this season.
As a disclaimer: I will not include any of the first five or so games as there is a high likelihood LeBron and Anthony Davis have their minutes managed to start the season due to their play throughout the summer in the Olympics.
Anthony Davis said during the Olympics, “I can’t try to pace myself to prepare for the [NBA] season. If anything, this will get me in more shape and ready for the season. Obviously, we’re going to manage during training camp and preseason and maybe the first couple games of the season.”
LA vs LA (Jan 19th, 2025)
This season will mark the first time the Clippers have not played in the same arena as the Lakers since they left the Los Angeles Sports Arena in 1999. Finally, Lakers fans can say they were able to evict their freeloading cousin out of their basement.
The two squads have been an excellent match for each other since 2019-2020, but that may not be the case this season. With Paul George getting moved to Philadelphia, Kawhi Leonard showing no signs of improved health, and juggling a move to a new arena, I don’t foresee this being the greatest season for them in the Balmer era.
The reason this is a must-watch, aside from the always present city rivalry, is the fact that it will be somewhere new for a change. Will we get the chance to see the true vitriol the Clippers fanbase has for us at full strength, or more the same in Lakers fans making Clipper home games their own?
LeBron vs Steph Christmas Day (Dec 25th, 2024)
What a beautiful summer it was. We got the opportunity to witness arguably the greatest team-up of all time in LeBron and Steph. The two complimented each other in ways basketball fans always knew they would. Unfortunately for us, that is no longer the case.
We are back to seeing the two stars battle as foes, and their matchups historically have left no meat on the bones. Whether it’s a play-in game, playoff game, or a random Wednesday in January, they give the fans a show for the ages. This season should be no different.
The real question is, will one of the two stars try to force their way to play with the other at some point this season?
Lakers vs Nuggets (Nov 23rd, 2024)
Our arch nemesis, the Denver Nuggets, comes to LA this time with a new face aboard the roster: Russell Westbrook, another one of the Lakers’ nation’s nemesis. Will this finally be the season that the Lakers can regain their dominance over this team?
The Nuggets did not have the greatest offseason, most notably losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while picking up Westbrook, who’s past his prime. I’m sure it’s not the swap Nuggets fans were hoping for. With renewed confidence after beating Serbia twice this summer, will it be enough for LeBron and AD to finally reclaim their throne?
Reigning Champs Come to LA (Jan 23rd, 2025)
This game is what sports are all about: Yankees vs. Red Sox, Bears vs. Packers, Texas vs. Oklahoma, and Lakers vs. Celtics. The storied history between the two organizations is enough to circle this one on the calendar, but it has even more gravity this year.
The Celtics are coming off a championship last season, during which they took back the lead in total championships with 18. Between that and some leftover resentment from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown over Team USA drama, we may be in store for a heavy-hitting bout.
Lakers @ OKC…Back to Back (Apr 6th & 8th, 2025)
This two-game stretch could not come at a worse time in the season. In the past few years, the Lakers have been able to recoup their position in the standings by turning it on late going into the playoffs. This will not be the case this season.
After a grueling March schedule, the Lakers will not be able to catch their breath as they’ll face the formidable Thunder two games in a row in April. Not only was OKC tough to handle last season with the emergence of SGA, but they’ve also added valuable pieces in Isaiah Hartenstein and our old friend Alex Caruso. These two matchups will not be easy.
Lakers preseason basketball begins on October 4th against the Timberwolves, and their season opener comes against the same foe on October 22nd. It’s so close yet so far away. All we can do now is hope they make a name for themselves this season.
