The schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season is beginning to get revealed, and unsurprisingly, the defending champion New York Knicks are going to be playing in quite a few primetime slots this upcoming year. While the Knicks will have a target on their backs in the eyes of every other team in the league, they will also have a spotlight shining brightly on them for much of the year.
Case in point, New York will open their new campaign with a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, who have spent the offseason loading up in their quest to steal the Larry O’Brien Trophy from the Knicks. Immediately, basketball fans began circling the date of this game (Oct. 20) on their calendars, with that group including superstar point guard Jalen Brunson, who shared his thoughts on this big game shortly after the league announced it.
Jalen Brunson Sends Strong Message on Season-Opening Clash vs. Sixers
The last time we saw the Knicks on the court, Brunson was leading them on a magical postseason run that ended with them defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. Brunson unsurprisingly won Finals MVP, solidifying his rise from an unheralded reserve guard to one of the best all-around players in the league.
While Brunson is the focal point of New York’s offense, he benefits greatly from a deep supporting cast. With Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Og Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns comprising the rest of the Knicks’ starting lineup, it’s tough to pinpoint a weakness on this team when everyone is playing up to their potential.
If there’s a starting five that can rival this group, the Sixers have it, as they swung a trade for Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James in free agency to add to a core that already featured Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. It isn’t much of a surprise that the NBA pitted these two teams against each other on the opening day of the season, and while Brunson is looking forward to the game, he knows he and his teammates are going to have to bring their A-game.
“I’m definitely excited,” Brunson said in an interview with Andrew Korpan of ClutchPoints. “It’s a new journey for them, for (LeBron James) and his team, and it should be interesting … Those dudes definitely have a lot of firepower over there, so we gotta make sure that we’re ready to go.”
Jalen Brunson, Knicks Have Their Sights Set on Repeating as Champions
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 18: Jalen Brunson speaks onstage during “Nightcap” Podcast at the Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics)
There’s not much more you can ask for on opening night than to see the defending champions go up against a team that has gone all-in this offseason. There’s a ton of excitement to see what the new-look Sixers are capable of, but given their continuity and the fact that they are fresh off winning the Finals, the Knicks will be favored to prevail in this game.
Ultimately, this is just the first step towards New York’s quest of winning back-to-back titles, which hasn’t been done since the Golden State Warriors won in 2017 and 2018. Per usual, Brunson is going to play a big role in determining just how successful the Knicks will end up being, and that starts with this highly-anticipated matchup against Philly.
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