The NBA will celebrate its 78th edition of 'Christmas Day' this Thursday, a day featuring five games and over 13 hours of uninterrupted broadcast. It will include a new face-off between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, and a simultaneous showdown between LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
For the second consecutive year, the NBA will have to compete on Christmas with the NFL, which until 2024 had stuck to Thanksgiving and has altered the schedule of the classic American basketball day with a Washington Commanders-Dallas Cowboys game and a Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game.
The 'Christmas Day' tradition began in 1947 during the NBA's second season.
"I'd a thousand times rather be at home with my family all day," LeBron James honestly admitted. For James, this will be his 20th Christmas game in his 23rd NBA season. Although his future plans have not yet been announced, this is likely his last professional season, and the NBA has decided to pair him on this date with one of his great rivals, Kevin Durant.
Before the game in Oklahoma City, a New York Knicks-Cleveland Cavaliers game will open the Christmas day at Madison Square Garden (17:00 GMT). The Knicks will be playing their 50th Christmas game at 'The Garden', which will also be their 58th appearance on this notable date, more than any other franchise in the league. The Knicks (20-9) arrive brimming with confidence, with the newly won NBA Cup under their arm, their first title in 52 years.
The highlight of the day will be the Thunder-Spurs game (19:30 GMT). Oklahoma City has only lost four games this season, two of them—the most painful—against the Spurs.
Prior to the Lakers-Rockets game at 22:00 GMT, the Golden State Warriors (15-15) of Stephen Curry will host the Dallas Mavericks of Cooper Flagg (12-19), which will be Flagg's first 'Christmas Day' as a Duke rookie.
The Christmas day will conclude with a true Western Conference treat: a Denver Nuggets (21-8)-Minnesota Timberwolves (20-10) game that will start at 03:30 GMT on Friday. Nikola Jokić and Anthony Edwards will cap off 13 hours of 'non-stop' basketball that will be broadcast in 215 countries and in more than 50 languages.
