Just 83 days before the 2008-2009 NBA regular season begins, the NBA has released its schedule.

Opening Night: 2008-2009 opening night (Tuesday, October 28) consists of an action-packed double-header, brought to you by TNT. To kick things off, the reigning champion Boston Celtics will take on LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers at 8:00 pm ET, and the defending Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers will go head-to-head with the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:30 pm ET. Last year’s number one overall pick Greg Oden (Portland) is expected to make his NBA debut, as will this year’s top pick Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, although the Chicago/Milwaukee game will not be nationally televised, to round out what should be an eventful opening night.

Welcome to the NBA: The brand new Oklahoma City franchise, who has yet to be officially nicknamed, will make their NBA debut on October 29, as they’ll host the Milwaukee Bucks on their home floor at 8:00 pm ET.

Christmas Day 2008: The NBA has wished fans across the world a very merry Christmas, as they’ve taken the liberty of scheduling not one, not two, but five nationally televised NBA basketball games on Christmas day. ESPN opens up the wonderful day, as Dwight Howard’s Orlando Magic host Chris Paul’s New Orleans Hornets at 12:00 pm ET. Directly after on ABC, the San Antonio Spurs will face off in Phoenix against the Suns at 2:30 pm ET. At 5:00 pm ET, ABC will broadcast an NBA Finals rematch, as the Boston Celtics will battle the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. From there, the action shifts to TNT to cap the night off with a double-header. First up at 8:00 pm ET, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host Eastern Conference rival Washington Wizards at the Quicken Loans Arena. The Dallas Mavericks will make their way to the Rose Garden to play the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:30 pm ET to end the night.

December 26: Just one day after the five-game Christmas day bash, the NBA’s top two selections in June’s 2008 NBA Draft, Derrick Rose (Chicago) and Michael Beasley (Miami), will square off with each other on ESPN at 5:00 pm ET.

Click here to view the list of all nationally broadcasted games by ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Nationally Televised Games - Per Team Count (not including NBA TV)
Atlanta: 1
Boston: 25
Charlotte: 0
Chicago 10
Cleveland: 25
Dallas: 21
Denver: 16
Detroit: 14
Golden State: 8
Houston: 13
Indiana: 0
LA Clippers: 1
LA Lakers: 25
Memphis: 1
Miami: 9
Milwaukee: 0
Minnesota: 0
New Jersey: 1
New Orleans: 12
New York: 0
Oklahoma City: 1
Orlando: 11
Philadelphia: 7
Phoenix: 25
Portland: 13
Sacramento: 0
San Antonio: 19
Toronto: 2
Utah: 11
Washington: 11