Miami Heat to Start Season in Boston, Face Lakers Christmas Day

​The Three Kings will begin their quest to utterly destroy all other NBA teams with their awesomeness in Boston. The NBA leaked parts of its 2010-11 schedule last night, and it has the Miami Heat opening its season against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. And in a game that is sure to be billed as an NBA Finals preview, the Heat will play on Christmas Day when they visit the World Champion Lakers. Merry Christmas, Kobe! It's a cockpunch!

Miami's home opener will be against the Orlando Magic October 29.

The season opener will be the NBA's first game of the season and will air on TNT, where LeBron and the boys will have a chance to stick a beefy five-layer burrito in Charles Barkley's craw in person. The Heat are winless in their last eight visits to Boston's TD Garden Center. The Celtics, if you recall, bounced Dwyane Wade's Heat and LeBron James's Cavaliers in the playoffs this past June on their way to the NBA Finals. So there's some decent motivation for both Wade and James to get their mojo working right off the bat. There's also this: the C's are on the cusp of signing Shaquille O'Neal to a contract. Although, really, Glen Davis's face and the Boston fan base should be enough motivation to want to beat the Celtics senseless.

There are also rumors the Heat will visit Cleveland December 2 and then again March 29. No doubt Cavs fans will be ready with their signs and placards spewing more hatred toward LeBron and the Heat. In comic sans font, of course.

The entire NBA schedule will be released August 10.