The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the 2024-25 season with the pressure of tying the Boston Celtics at 18 championships. It's an internal expectation above all else, with that epic rivalry driving the team toward greatness for decades on end.
Before the Lakers can reach the playoffs and attempt to lock down another championship, however, they must first navigate one of the most important regular seasons in franchise history.
Los Angeles superstar LeBron James will turn 40 this season and has a player option for the 2025-26 campaign. As such, there's a genuine possibility that he's preparing for the final season of his Lakers career—if not his entire run in the NBA.
Fresh off of winning the MVP award at the Olympics, his performance has heightened the pressure facing the Lakers to help him compete for a fifth career NBA championship.
Winning a championship is a process that begins early, however, and the regular season must be properly overcome to position Los Angeles to do so. There will be no shortage of tests in that regard, with contenders competing for postseason seeding from opening night on.
The question is: What are the most important games that the Lakers will play during the 2024-25 NBA regular season?
Saturday, November 23: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
The early months of the 2024-25 season will include several compelling matchups, but the clash with the Denver Nuggets on November 23 could prove monumental. Los Angeles will host Denver in its first of four encounters with its rivals, with the other three happening closer to the playoffs.
As the Lakers prepare for a grueling stretch of games that will begin after the All-Star break, securing early wins over teams they hope to compete with for postseason seeding will be essential.
Furthermore, this will be the first encounter between the Lakers and Nuggets since the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Having been eliminated from the postseason by Denver in both 2023 and 2024, this is a unique opportunity for Los Angeles to get a win back early in the momentum-building process.
It's also JJ Redick's first real test as Lakers head coach as far as proving he can fix what went wrong under Darvin Ham.
Wednesday, December 25: Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
In many eyes, Christmas is the day that marks a sudden increase in competitiveness around the NBA. Whether or not that's actually true, the Lakers will be in a marquee position when they take on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day.
Beyond shining on a nationally televised stage is the simple fact that 2025 will provide Los Angeles with an absolutely brutal stretch of games—making any momentum gained in 2024 essential.
Seeing Curry and LeBron James square off on a major stage will be thrilling, especially after they took over as teammates at the Olympics. In the event that Los Angeles prevails, it will have gained a major win over a potential playoff team before the most challenging stretch of the season can begin.
The Lakers have struggled to win big games in recent years. This is an early opportunity to change the pace.
Saturday, February 22: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets
Even if one were to put aside the fact that it's another game between the Lakers and Nuggets, this may be the single most important outing of the season. The clash with Denver marks the beginning of a 14-game stretch that could destroy or elevate Los Angeles' ambitions.
During those 14 games, the Lakers will play the Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers twice in a row, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Nuggets again, Phoenix Suns, Bucks again, and Nuggets once more.
Of those 14 games, 13 will be played against projected postseason teams—and a case could be made that all but Brooklyn have at least an outside shot at winning a championship.
Thursday, March 6: New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers
Speaking of that brutal 14-game stretch, the Thursday, March 6 encounter with the Knicks could prove monumental. It's the final home game the Lakers will play before they ship out on a four-game road trip that could define the Lakers' season.
Those outings include away games against the Celtics, Bucks, and Nuggets—three of the past four NBA champions.
If the Lakers defeat the Knicks at home, it would create a decent amount of positive energy heading into the road trip. A loss, however, could prove disastrous as Los Angeles would thus be forced to try to get back on the right track as the away team against a cast of contenders.
Neither outcome would protect the Lakers from how brutal that road trip will be, but a win can at least set them on a positive course toward success.
Sunday March 16: Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
A game that will either stop the bleeding or continue a tremendous stretch of basketball. It's the first outing back home after a four-game road trip that includes clashes with the Bucks, Celtics, and Nuggets.
It's also the first home game of the final chapter of the brutal 14-game stretch that could make or break the Lakers' season in 2024-25.
After the aforementioned road trip, the Lakers will play four straight home games—but they'll be far from easy. The opponents will be the Suns, Bucks, Nuggets, and Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles will be back on the road for four straight road games after that.
A grueling late-season schedule awaits the Lakers, making wins on these five key dates essential to helping them stay afloat or even thrive amid this sea of contenders.