Donovan Mitchell Can Make NBA Christmas History in 2025

Donovan Mitchell got his wish. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be one of the ten teams representing the NBA during its premier Christmas Day slate.

Playing on December 25 is an honor reserved for some of the most high-profile squads in the league, featuring the game's biggest stars. LeBron James leads all players with 19 appearances on the holiday and could make it 20 if he's available against the Houston Rockets in this upcoming season — and if he's still on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mitchell is probably not going to break James' record. This upcoming scheduled clash against the New York Knicks would only mark the third Christmas game of his career. However, he does have a decent chance of setting a different Christmas milestone this season.

Donovan Mitchell, NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers — May 6, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter during game two of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell could join the all-time list of Christmas NBA scorers in the 2025 NBA season

Part of being an NBA star is performing well when the lights are brightest. Usually, that cliche is reserved for the heightened intensity of the playoffs, but marquee matchups in the regular season should count too. That includes Christmas Day games, which regularly draw some of the highest viewership of the year.

Donovan Mitchell is no stranger to gifting his team a quality performance. Through two games so far, he's averaged 26 points, leading his team to victory in both. It's been a while since he's gotten to play on the Yuletide stage, though.

Next season will be his first time playing on December 25 since the 2021-22 season, when he dropped 33 points in a clutch victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Doncic was out that game, but he's been one of the NBA's most notable Christmas Day performers. Most notably, he gifted the world a 50-piece masterclass against the Phoenix Suns in 2023. He's currently eighth in NBA history in average Christmas scoring with 30.8 points per game.

Donovan Mitchell will have a good opportunity to join the top 10 himself this season. That spot is currently held by Anthony Davis, omitting his seven-minute, zero-point outing from last year. Aside from that game, he's put up 30.3 points across four Christmas games.

For Mitchell to break into the top 10, he'll have to pour in 39 against the Knicks that day. That's no easy feat, but it's certainly a doable one for a scorer of his caliber. In the 2024-25 season, he hit that number three times, including the playoffs, and has done so in 29 games in his career. If he can do so again on Christmas 2025, he could immortalize himself as an NBA Yuletide legend.