As the basketball world awaits the release of the official 2014-15 NBA schedule on Wednesday, more marquee matchups continue to leak.
Not sure if this has been out there, but radio in Chicago just said Bulls will host Lakers on Christmas Day.
— Brett Pollakoff (@BrettEP) August 11, 2014
The Lakers, with a returning Kobe Bryant, remain one of the league's biggest draws and marquee franchises despite a rough 2013-14 season and what is expected to be another tough year in 2014-15. The Bulls, on the other hand, are expected to potentially contend for a championship, and certainly for an Eastern Conference title, with Derrick Rose returning from injury, and the additions of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotić.
The Bulls/Lakers matchup would add to an already intriguing Christmas Day lineup that will reportedly include LeBron James' first trip back to Miami with the Cavaliers, the Warriors visiting the Clippers to renew their rivalry and the Wizards taking on the Knicks.
The Bulls and Lakers met on Christmas Day in 2011, which was opening night for the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Rose, the reigning MVP at the time, won the game by hitting a floater with less than five seconds remaining.