Lakers’ 2024-25 schedule includes fewer consecutive players, Michael Cooper’s jersey retirement – Orange County Register

After a rough start last season, the Lakers’ 2024-25 schedule will be more balanced from the start, feature fewer backs and include a jersey retirement.

The NBA kicked off the regular season schedule Thursday, with an Opening Night matchup and JJ Redick’s Lakers coaching debut coming against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 22 at Crypto.com Arena.

The matchup with the Timberwolves will kick off a three-game stretch to start the season, which includes games against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 25 and the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 26 before the Lakers embark on a five-game road trip.

Of the Lakers’ first 19 games, 10 will be at Crypto.com Arena and nine will be on the road.

As part of the release of the program, the Lakers announced that the franchise will retire the jersey no. Michael Cooper’s 21 when they host Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs on January 13, 2025. Cooper was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year and will be enshrined in mid-October.

Other notable games include:

• Oct. 30: in Cleveland; LeBron James returns to where he began his career and spent 11 of 22 seasons;

• November 23: vs. Denver; the first game with the Nuggets after Denver eliminated them in the last two postseasons;

• Dec. 25: at Golden State; a Christmas Day showdown with the San Francisco Warriors;

• January 7, 2025: in Dallas; first game against the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks;

• January 19, 2025: at the Clippers; the first game against the Clippers at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood after being co-tenants of Crypto.com Arena for 25 years;

• January 23, 2025: vs. Boston; hosts the NBA champion Celtics;

• April 13, 2025: in Portland; regular season finale against the Trail Blazers.

The Southern California Lakers’ longest streak will take place on Jan. 9. 23 when they play eight games, including the Jan. 19, 2025 game against the Clippers. They will host five games at Crypto.com Arena from January 9-17, 2025 (Charlotte, San Antonio twice, Miami, Brooklyn), then travel to the Clippers before hosting the Washington Wizards on January 21, 2025 and the Celtics on the 23 January 2025, ahead of their six-game Grammys tour.

The Grammys trip (January 25, 2025 – February 4, 2025) will include games with Golden State, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington and New York before concluding with the Lakers returning to Southern California for a showdown with the Clippers.

The Lakers’ five-game road trip from Oct. 28-Nov. 6 (Phoenix, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Memphis) is tied for most consecutive games outside Southern California, while their six-game homestand from February 25, 2025 to March 6, 2025 (Dallas, Minnesota, Clippers twice, New Orleans, New York) will be their most consecutive games at Crypto.com Arena.

They have 13 consecutive game streaks, seven of which involve travel, down from 15 consecutive games and 10 that involved travel last season.