One of the most important dates on the NBA calendar each year is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the league will celebrate the social justice icon in style this coming January. Closing out a star-studded MLK quadruple-header, the Pistons and Celtics will face off in Detroit in primetime.
Year after year, the NBA distinguishes itself as one of the more vocal and engaged leagues in terms of activism, engagement and involvement in terms of social issues. Most in the Association — which is predominantly comprised of Black players, and has the highest percentage of Black coaches and staff — carry the spirit of MLK as they push for equal rights and freedoms.
It's fitting, then, that Detroit will host the fourth and final nationally-televised game on MLK Day. Celtics vs. Pistons — a battle of two squads in the 2024-25 Eastern Conference Playoffs — should be quite a holiday matchup. It will air on NBC and Peacock, one of the premier broadcasts of the network's first year back to broadcasting NBA games since 2002.
BUY NOW: Tickets to see Pistons vs. Celtics MLK game on StubHub
The significance of the game being held in Motown is obvious. Detroit is known as a "Northern Mecca" for civil rights, as many African-Americans settled in Michigan's largest city during the Great Migration. It held the "Walk for Freedom" in 1963, the largest civil rights demonstration at the time, with MLK delivering a precursor to his famed "I Have a Dream" speech.
Of course, both these teams have plenty of cultural significance, too. The Celtics were the first team in the NBA to draft a Black player, Chuck Cooper, who played for both Boston and Detroit. Superstar Bill Russell also turned Boston into an early NBA powerhouse. And Cooper, Nat Clifton and Earl "The Big Cat" Lloyd all spent time in Motown. The C's and Pistons have 21 championships between them.
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) won't be suiting up for this one, but there will be plenty of star power. Celtics 2023 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and USA gold medalist Derrick White will be leading the charge for Boston, and All-Star Cade Cunningham will be running the show for Detroit.
Pistons vs. Celtics tickets for NBA 2025 MLK game
Tickets for the Pistons-Celtics MLK game are available now on StubHub, and it's obviously going to be a high-demand event. Plenty of affordable seats remain, though.
Ticket prices start in the range of $34-$60 each. Seats on the corners of the lower-bowl section go for about $50-$75, while seats closer to mid-court run for about $200-$250 and up.
Click the link below for updated pricing and seat availability.
BUY NOW:Tickets for Pistons vs. Celtics on MLK Day in Detroit
Pistons vs. Celtics start time for NBA 2025 MLK game
Date: Monday, January 19, 2026
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
The Pistons and Celtics play at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI on MLK Day. The date of the holiday game is January 19, 2026, the third Monday of the year.
Tipoff has been scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, although you can probably expect some pregame ceremonies. The home of the Pistons can nearly 20,500 people. Click here to be a part of this historic regular-season matchup.
Little Caesars Arena seating map for Pistons vs. Celtics
Here's the seating map for Little Caesars Arena in Detroit:
Little Caesars seating map
Little Caesars Arena
Detroit Pistons 2025-26 schedule
The Pistons' 2025-26 NBA schedule dropped in mid-August. Detroit will be well-televised throughout the campaign, with 16 national television appearances across ESPN, NBC, Peacock and Prime. The Pistons will also play the Mavs in Mexico City on Nov. 1. Click here to buy tickets to any Detroit matchup.
Boston Celtics 2025-26 schedule
Like Detroit, the Celtics' 2025-26 schedule was announced in mid-August. Boston will play a whopping 25 games on national TV or streaming sites, including six games each on ESPN and NBC. Click here for tickets to every Milwaukee game.