Just because LeBron James is eating Tastykakes and Wawa sandwiches in the City of Brotherly Love this season, that doesn’t mean the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t still the Golden State Warriors’ biggest rival. The NBA agreed, sending the Dubs down to Los Angeles to open their 2026-27 season against Luka Donic, Austin Reaves, and a revamped Lakers team.
Lakers-Warriors remains a “marquee” matchup for the NBA, so the clash at the Crypto.com Arena will headline ESPN’s doubleheader on the second night of the season, following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game as a member of the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball, who drives like a Floridian, playing his first game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s the second season in a row for this matchup and the fourth time in the last six years the Warriors have opened the season against the Lakers.
The Warriors battled Doncic and Reaves separately in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. It’s been entertaining viewing, especially since Doncic is one of the rare NBA players who yells at the referees more than Draymond Green. The Lakers have a big group of new players for 2026-27, including:
- Walker Kessler
- Sandro Mamukelashvili
- Quentin Grimes
- Collin Sexton
- Kevon Looney
- Jaden Hardy
- Matisse Thybulle
- Cameron Carr
They lost
- LeBron James
- Rui Hachimura
- Marcus Smart
- Luke Kennard
- Deandre Ayton
- Jaxson Hayes
They’re also rumored to be interested in adding Jonathan Kuminga, a transaction that will no doubt be perfectly reasonable and easy to complete with his realistic and understanding agent. But Looney should get a lot of hugs, daps, congratulations for escaping the New Orleans Pelicans, and offensive rebounds where he doesn’t jump more than two inches off the ground.
That’s quite a bit of roster turnover, so the Warriors should have a marked advantage in continuity, veteran leadership, Social Security accruals, folksy sayings, ability to whittle, and slipperiness from Ben-Gay cream.
Another Warriors’ California rival will host the Dubs for their home opener as well. The Warriors will head up Interstate 80 to the Golden 1 Center on Oct. 24 for the beginning of the Darius Acuff Era in Sacramento, which Sacramento Kings fans also hope will mark the beginning of the end of the Zach LaVine Era in Sacramento.They’ll either be lighting the beam or lighting themselves on fire in the capital!
The Warriors are opening the season against the Lakers. The world changes, but some things stay the same every year.
