At 6PM ET on August 12th, the NBA finally released the 2015-6 schedule after weeks of anticipation, speculation, and game leaks. The new schedule is the final signal that a new season of professional basketball is upon us—that is if the NBA Draft, free agency, and the NBA Summer League are not enough for you. Let’s look at the highlights of our beloved Boston Celtics schedule.

Opening night: This year’s opening night opponent will be the Philadelphia 76ers on October 28th in Boston. The Celtics will open against an Atlantic Division opponent for the third straight year (Brooklyn last year and Toronto the year before). The 76ers are not an intriguing opening day opponent as they’ve been in a self-induced lottery coma for the past three years.

Tug of War: The Celtics will only face the Eastern Conference Champion Cavaliers three times this season. The first meeting will be on December 15th in Boston and the last two will be in Cleveland (February 5th and March 5th). LeBron and Co. swept the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, but the Celtics put up a fierce fight in all four games. Speaking of fight, Kelly Olynyk better watch out because Cavs fans still might be salty over the infamous "tug seen around the world."

Last of Kobe in Boston: December 30th could mark Kobe Bryant’s last appearance in the TD Garden. Bryant has stated that this is likely his last season, but that could certainly change. If he does retire, it would certainly signal a new chapter in the Lakers-Celtics rivalry with each team losing their franchise players (Kobe for the Lakers and Paul Pierce for the Celtics).

Home Sweet Home: The Celtics will enjoy a 5 game home stand that’ll stretch from February 25th-March 4th. Boston will face Milwaukee, Miami, Utah, Portland, and New York in that order. The Bucks and Heat will be the C’s toughest opponents in that stretch with both teams looking more competitive than last season.

Hit the Road (and Cry): Boston will also have a 5 game road trip from March 26th – April 8th. They’ll go up against the Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Warriors, and Lakers. Not a terrible lineup especially compared to last year’s six game west coast trip, which included games against Portland, Golden State, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately, the Warriors and Clippers remain serious contenders and tough opponents. The Celtics have not beaten either team after the Pierce-Garnett deal.

No Christmas Gift: Much to the displeasure of Boston fans, there will be no Christmas day game. This will mark the third straight year the Celtics have not played a Christmas game. Maybe next year?

The Truth Returns: Paul Pierce has bounced around since the Nets mega-deal. He’s was first with Brooklyn, then signed a deal with Washington last year, and this year jumped ship to Los Angeles to unite him with Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, whom he spent 9 seasons with in Boston. Though he’s not wearing green and white now, Pierce will forever remain a C in the eyes of Celtics fans. Pierce will be 38 in October and his playing days are winding down, so it’s a treat to see him play.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T(V): The Celtics will receive some serious TV time this year, earning themselves 7 televised Games after a remarkable season that ended with a surprise playoff appearance. There will be five games on ESPN: December 9th vs. Chicago, January 13th vs. Indiana, February 19th vs. Utah, March 16 vs. Oklahoma City, and April 1st vs. Golden State. The last two televised games will air on TNT. Those games are November 24th at Atlanta and January 7th at Chicago.

4 in 5: Credit NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for his attempts to prevent injuries. Most notably the league has significantly reduced the amount of 4 games in 5 nights: "the stretches of four games in five nights and back-to-backs have been reduced to all-time lows, with the four-in-fives to an average of less than one per team." With that said, the Celtics still have to endure one of these stretches January 12th -16th vs. New York, vs. Indiana, vs. Phoenix, and Washington.

Fiesta!: The Celtics will travel south of the border to Mexico City on December 3rd for a contest against the Sacramento Kings. The Kings signed ex-Celtic Rajon Rondo to a 1-year $10 million contract, adding another personality to a Kings organization that already has DeMarcus Cousins and George Karl. After Rondo arguably quit on Dallas last year, it’ll be interesting to see how he fits in with Sacramento.