The NBA has scheduled Rivals Week again for the 2025-26 season.
This special week will feature multiple games between basketball teams that hold intense, long-simmering rivalries.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are set to appear in Rivals Week this year, but they are playing against a surprising opponent.
The Cavs will battle the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, January 21, and some people were asking why.
Classic and budding rivalries take center stage for NBA Rivals Week during the week of January 20! 🔥
NBA Schedule Release presented by @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/tDw9BRUxez
— NBA (@NBA) August 14, 2025
Upon further examination, the reason that the league matched the Cavaliers against the Hornets is obvious: it is a chance for the Ball brothers to duke it out on the court.
Lonzo Ball is about to play his first season with Cleveland, and his brother LaMelo has been Charlotte’s lead star for a few years now.
On January 21, they will be able to see who can score the most for their respective teams.
On paper, the Cavaliers are a much better team, and the Hornets will enter this match as severe underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t surprise everyone and pull off a win.
Regardless, people will be tuning in because they want to see Lonzo and LaMelo play against one another.
But just beacuse they are scheduled to play doesn’t mean they will.
Sadly, both Ball brothers have had their fair share of injuries over the years, and there is a chance they could both be hurt when January rolls around.
Hopefully, that isn’t the case, because it isn’t often that NBA fans get to see two brothers compete against each other.
Is this a true rivalry or just a chance for the league to show off the talents of two siblings?
NEXT: Cavs Given Notable Grade For Offseason Moves
