Warriors star Curry 'excited' for season-opening clash with Durant's Nets

Los Angeles, December 3: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is relishing his reunion with former team-mate Kevin Durant on the opening night of the 2020-21 NBA season.

The NBA announced its national TV schedule for the first three days of the season, with the Warriors-Brooklyn Nets clash part of a December 22 doubleheader also featuring defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers and city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers.

Durant – who won two championships and as many NBA Finals MVP awards in the Bay Area – is set to make his long-awaited debut for the Nets as he returns from an Achilles injury.

NBA 2020-21 season: Lakers-Clippers clash, Durant's Warriors reunion headline opening night

Former MVP Durant left the Warriors via free agency ahead of the 2019-20 season, but he missed last term through an Achilles injury sustained with Golden State in the 2019 Finals.

#DubNation, you ready?! pic.twitter.com/d6RkTgJZSo

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 2, 2020

The Warriors will also face reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day and Curry told reporters on Wednesday: "It's exciting.

"Throw us right into the familiarity with K [Durant] but also with teams that are expected to be at the top of each conference, or the Eastern Conference.

"And then, we kind of get a good gauge of where we are right out the gate.

"We're going to have to play every team at some point. I know the excitement around the NBA being back and the Christmas Day slate and all that ... it's going to be dope."

Golden State – coming off a forgettable campaign – will be without star Klay Thompson again due to a ruptured Achilles, having missed the entire 2019-20 season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The Warriors reached five straight NBA Finals between 2015 and 2019, winning three titles, but slumped to a 15-50 record at the bottom of the Western Conference in 2019-20.

back in business pic.twitter.com/6zHsv88vp6

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 3, 2020

Curry's own injuries limited him to just five games last term and he added: "I've got to figure out what we're going to do in Milwaukee for Christmas.

"But other than that, it's going to be pretty awesome just to be playing basketball again. I'm excited, man, it's going to be here before you know it."

"Watching the bubble was weird," Curry said. "It was nice to be a fan for a little bit, but I definitely want to be playing competitive basketball and in games that matter."