Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant will spend another Christmas together.

The former teammates will meet on December 25 for the third straight season, as the NBA champion Miami Heat host the Los Angeles Lakers in the lone game on the holiday.

That was one of the highlights of the 2006-07 NBA schedule, released by the league Tuesday.

The season opens on October 31 with two games, both rematches of thrilling first-round series from last season's playoffs: Chicago at Miami and Phoenix at the Lakers.

The Bulls, who will debut new big man Ben Wallace that night, pushed the Heat to six games in their matchup. The Suns overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Lakers.

Wallace returns to Detroit for the first time on February 25.

The first full day of games comes on November 1 and will feature the Clippers at Phoenix. The Suns needed seven games to oust the improved Clippers in last season's Western Conference semifinals.

The following night, rivals San Antonio and Dallas meet for the first time since they also went seven games in the same round. The Mavericks beat the Spurs on the road in overtime to win that series on the way to their first NBA finals appearance.

The displaced Hornets will play their home opener in New Orleans on November 5, and a second one two nights later in their adopted home of Oklahoma City.

They temporarily relocated from New Orleans to Oklahoma City before last season following Hurricane Katrina.

Five other games are scheduled in New Orleans on December 14 against San Antonio, December 16 against Dallas, January 26 against Sacramento, February 23 against Seattle and March 23 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The remaining 35 home games, plus any home playoff games, will be played at Oklahoma City's Ford Center.

And on January 20, Detroit plays the Sacramento Kings in would could be Ron Artest's first game at The Palace since the 2004 brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Pistons fans.

(Xinhua News Agency via AP August 2, 2006)