Spurs left off 2018 NBA Tip-Off, holiday schedules for national TV

The San Antonio Spurs were absent from the NBA’s marquee times of the year, including a national television spot on opening week.

The first part of the 2018-19 NBA schedule released Wednesday, and the San Antonio Spurs were noticeably absent. It was hardly a significant portion of the schedule, but some of its most important points of the upcoming campaign.

It started with the Tip-Off 2018 schedule for national television. The Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors will take over TNT on Opening Night. That’s followed by the New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets, LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers debut vs. the Portland Trail Blazers and Kawhi Leonard’s Toronto Raptors vs. the Washington Wizards, amongst others.

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Our #KiaTipOff18 schedule! pic.twitter.com/CZi86ue28Q

— NBA (@NBA) August 8, 2018

As previously noted, the Spurs will not be part of the Christmas Day schedule. That means Leonard’s return to San Antonio, or DeMar DeRozan’s return to Toronto, will take place on a separate night in the season.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day will also not feature the Spurs. It contains matchups of the Pelicans vs. Kyle Anderson and the Memphis Grizzlies, the Rockets vs. Sixers and Lakers vs. Warriors.

Officially official: NBA season opens w/ Sixers @ Celts and Thunder @ Warriors on Oct. 16 on TNT. Coverage includes ring ceremony.

LeBron's Laker debut is Oct. 18, vs. Portland, also on TNT.

MLK Day: Pelicans @ Grizz, Rox @ 76ers, Warriors @ Lakers.

Full TV sked coming Friday.

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) August 8, 2018

Of course there’s still a six-month timeframe to cover for the NBA schedule; one everyone would think has the Spurs on national television. The rest of it will come out Friday, Aug. 10, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck.

So, the official start date for San Antonio remains unknown, but look for it within Oct. 16-21, except on local television and NBA League Pass. Who they play will be interesting, as teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets were left off, as well. Could it be one of them?

Much is still in play for the Spurs schedule, which everyone will know soon enough. Opening Night, national television and other important dates will come to light and create excitement for the 2018-19 season.