DETROIT — Whether the Pistons and the Celtics knew it or not, they were guinea pigs for what the NBA hopes is the start of a new tradition.
The 2026–27 season tipped off at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit with a contest between the Eastern Conference’s top two seeds from last year. Neither team made it past the second round, though, straying from the league’s recent tradition in which each new season opens with the defending champions raising a banner.