Image Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

MLK Day 2025: Schedule of NBA games, start time, FREE live streaming details and more

Here’s the all information about MLK Day in the NBA, including the schedule, live stream and tip-off time.

Image Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

NBA is back with its 39th edition of the MLK Day which is a tradition of honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The league has scheduled eight games for the holiday.

Memphis Grizzlies will take part in the MLK Day action for the 23rd year. Memphis was the city where the great Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated on the night of April 4, 1968. Grizzlies will also host events to remember the life of Dr. King, who was the biggest hero in the fight for equality and justice.

Martin Lurther King Jr. was born in Atlanta and this is the reason, the league schedule a game with Atlanta Hawks every year on MLK Day. Here’s the all information about MLK Day in the NBA, including the schedule, live stream and tip-off time.

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NBA games on MLK Day 2025

The NBA on MLK Day 2025 will kick off with Charlotte Hornets visiting Dallas Mavericks in the afternoon game. There will be eight matchups scheduled for Jan. 20. Atlanta Hawks have played most number of games on MLK Day and they will go against the New York Knicks this year.

Since 1994, the organization has hosted games on MLK Day, with few exceptions – in 1998 when the franchise split time between Georgia Dome and Alexander Memorial Coliseum, in 1999 when no games were played until February and 2017.

With a full slate of games coming up on Martin Luther King Jr. Day… we rewind to Dirk Nowitzki drilling the game-winning buzzer-beater for the @dallasmavs on #MLKDay in 2009! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/oqrGvclQtv
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 15, 2022

Here’s the complete schedule of NBA games on MLK Day with kick-off time:

Mavericks vs. Hornets – Noon ET
Pistons vs. Rockets – 2 p.m. ET
Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies – 2:30 p.m. ET
Hawks vs. Knicks – 3 p.m. ET
Suns vs. Cavs – 3:30 p.m. ET
Celtics vs. Warriors – 5 p.m. ET
Jazz vs. Pelicans – 8 p.m. ET
Bulls vs. Clippers – 10:30 p.m. ET

How to watch NBA games on MLK Day?

Eight matchups are on the slate for the 2025 MLK Day. All games will be available on NBA League Pass. TNT will host a special pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. Doubled-header games will be available on Tru TV and Max in the United States.

How MLK Day started?

MLK Day is a national holiday in the United States to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1968.

On November 2, 1983, US President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law, designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The NBA has started playing games on MLK Day in 1986. There was just one year in which the NBA didn’t play on the MLK Day, which was during the lockout in the 1998–99 season.

Image Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

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Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.