The Portland Trail Blazers will welcome LeBron James to the NBA’s Western Conference when James and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Moda Center in their 2018-19 season opener. The Oct. 18 game tips off at 7:30 p.m. and will be nationally televised by TNT.

The game will mark the Lakers debut of James, the four-time NBA MVP who has spent his previous 15 seasons in the Eastern Conference with Cleveland (11 seasons) and Miami (four).

Portland will also be part of the NBA’s marquee Christmas Day package, as the Blazers travel to Utah to face the Jazz at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Portland-Utah game will be that last of five nationally televised Christmas games, featuring the Lakers playing at defending champion Golden State at 5 p.m.

The NBA announced a portion of the 2018-19 schedule on Wednesday. The season opens on Oct. 16 with Philadelphia playing at Boston and Golden State entertaining Oklahoma City.

—Bulletin wire reports