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The NBA has confirmed that the full 2026-2027 regular-season schedule will be unveiled on August 13, but several marquee dates and marquee matchups have already been made public, including the opening-week slate.
Among those is a highly anticipated Texas showdown: the Houston Rockets will travel to Austin to face the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Moody Center. That venue is particularly meaningful to Rockets star Kevin Durant, as it sits on the campus where he launched his collegiate career.
Durant spent his lone college season with the Texas Longhorns in 2006-07, becoming the first freshman in NCAA history to sweep every major national player of the year award. His campaign is still remembered as one of the most dominant individual seasons in college basketball history.
During that breakout year, Durant appeared in 35 games, averaging 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks per contest. He connected on 40.4% of his three-point attempts and set a single-season scoring record with 903 total points.
Durant's bond with the Longhorns has remained strong long after his departure. He frequently returns to campus to mentor current players and has invested heavily in the program. In 2018, a year after claiming NBA Finals MVP honors, he donated $3 million to the University of Texas, with $2.5 million earmarked for Texas Basketball.
His support continued in March 2026 when he launched a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiative designed to help Longhorn athletes secure exclusive endorsement deals and other financial opportunities.
Key Analysis
Although the Spurs are listed as the home team for the opener, the atmosphere at the Moody Center is expected to heavily favor Durant and the Rockets. Given Durant's enormous popularity in Austin, the crowd could make Houston feel like the true home side.
Last season, San Antonio dominated the regular-season series, winning three of four meetings against Houston, including both contests at their own arena. However, none of those games took place at the Moody Center, so this neutral-site environment could level the playing field.
With Durant's deep-rooted connection to the city and the university, the Rockets may gain a significant emotional and crowd advantage in what promises to be one of the most anticipated games of the season.
Originally reported by yahoo.