The Five Best NBA Players in Christmas Games

LeBron James will play in his 20th holiday game this year and tops the list of players who have shined the brightest in the annual showcase slate.

Then-Cavaliers forward LeBron James shoots against Warriors forward Brandon Rush during the 2015 Christmas game. The Warriors won, 89–83. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

It begins at noon ET and finishes when the wood in the fireplace has crumbled to embers and the kids are all asleep. It keeps millions of fans company amid the low murmur of family gathering and the joyful tearing of wrapping paper. It can wow and awe; it can send viewers right to sleep after too much eggnog. It’s an escape and a celebration and everything in between.

That’s right. It’s the NBA on Christmas. 

The top holiday of professional basketball, hoops on Yuletide remains a great pleasure for fans around the world. The top superstars in the league are enlisted to suit up on Dec. 25 and entrance Christmas viewers everywhere, from an elderly grandmother to the newest young cousin to join the family.

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This year’s slate features: Donovan Mitchell facing off against Jalen Brunson in a battle of Eastern Conference superstars, Victor Wembanyama leading the young Spurs against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Thunder, Cooper Flagg vs. Steph Curry, LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokić vs. Anthony Edwards.

Game	Time	TV
Cavaliers at Knicks	Noon ET	ESPN/ABC
Spurs at Thunder	2:30 p.m. ET	ESPN/ABC
Mavericks at Warriors	5 p.m. ET	ESPN/ABC
Rockets at Lakers	8 p.m. ET	ESPN/ABC
Timberwolves at Nuggets	10:30 p.m. ET	ESPN/ABC

There will be dunks and outrageous shotmaking and eye-widening assists galore with every star on the docket eager to flash their skills in front of a unique prime-time audience, one filled with casual fans waiting for those stars to make an indelible impression. 

Some players are more naturally suited to take advantage of the NBA’s Christmas audience than others, however. It’s true of this year’s slate and has generally proven true throughout basketball’s lengthy tradition of Yuletide games; this Dec. 25 will be the 78th season featuring the NBA on Christmas. While there are obviously cons to playing on the holiday, especially in regard to the human aspect, the bright lights of the holiday season have historically served to inspire a select few stars who shine brightest on Christmas. 

Which NBA players save their best for Christmas? 

LeBron James

James is the NBA’s marquee star and one of the biggest names in sports throughout the 21st century. As such he’s always afforded a spotlight on Christmas Day—and The King likes to rise to the occasion. 

This season will mark James’s 20th appearance on Christmas. He made a statement in his Yuletide debut by scoring 34 points in 2003 as a rookie before he was left off the slate for the following three seasons. In 2007 he returned to the Dec. 25 schedule and has played on Christmas every year since. There are fans who are on the verge of heading to college having never experienced a Christmas Day without the broad-shouldered presence of LeBron dominating the television screen. 

As is often the case when greatness meets opportunity James has firmly cemented himself as perhaps the best Christmas player the NBA will ever see. The Lakers superstar is the NBA’s Christmas Day wins leader with 11 victories. He also leads all players in total points scored (507) and field goals made (108) on Christmas. For his career James averages 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game on Dec. 25. At this point it’s hard to comprehend what the holiday will look like without James’s signature blend of otherworldly athleticism and basketball IQ taking center stage. 

Over the years James has put forth many memorable Christmas Day performances. But his very best came in 2010, in his first season with the Heat at the peak of his physical powers. The future Hall of Famer recorded a 27-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to lead Miami over the defending champion Lakers and the legendary Kobe Bryant. 

The seemingly effortless way in which he gripped the game with both hands and forced it to bend to his will is James’s calling card, more than any signature move. And with 19 games under his belt so far no player has appeared more on Christmas in NBA history. Consequently James has become a Christmas tradition on par with cookies for Santa for basketball fans worldwide. It continues this year, with James’s Lakers set to host the Rockets in the 8 p.m. ET time slot on the NBA’s 2025 Christmas docket. 

Tracy McGrady 

In what could fairly be viewed as a reflection of his career at large, McGrady’s Christmas Day performances in front of a national audience were few but absolutely captivating. 

The superstar is the NBA’s all-time leader in points per game average on Christmas, finishing his career with a whopping 43.4 points per contest across three appearances. McGrady earned his fame thanks to his supernatural blend of lithe athleticism and pogo-stick vertical, a reputation he clearly enjoyed cementing during the holiday season in particular.

McGrady’s first Christmas Day opportunity came in 2000, his fourth season in the NBA, while he was playing for the Magic. He required no time to get comfortable, dropping 43 points against the Pacers. Was it an efficient performance? No, it was not. McGrady shot 13 for 31 from the floor in 44 minutes. Was it a winning performance? Also no. Despite accounting for nearly half the team’s points, McGrady’s Orlando squad lost to Indiana, 103–93. But what a show he put on. 

It was merely a preview of what was to come. McGrady got the nod for Christmas twice more in the following three seasons in 2002 and ’03. He continued to scorch the nets, but on significantly better shooting numbers to write himself into the NBA’s Christmas record books. McGrady had 46 points in ’02 against the Pistons and wrapped up his Christmas career the following year with 41 points to beat rookie James as part of an overtime thriller. 

Of those three games, the final was the most majestic T-Mac performance. He shot 51.7% from the floor, hitting 15 of his 29 attempts in vintage fashion. What’s more, he added 11 assists and eight rebounds to outlast James back when he was known primarily as The Chosen One. Few players have ever made scoring look as smooth as McGrady and he made sure his place in NBA Christmas history would never be forgotten. 

Wilt Chamberlain 

Chamberlain’s inclusion on this list is probably not a surprise as it is almost impossible to discuss historic NBA performances without his name coming up. Nevertheless, he earned his inclusion here over the course of six Christmas Day games between 1959 and ’70. 

While Chamberlain’s overall statistics are as ludicrous as one might expect, he also owns one of the most dominant showings in holiday basketball history. In 1961 he suited up for the then-Philadelphia Warriors to play the Knicks and put on an unbelievable show, scoring 59 points to go with 36 rebounds. In typical Wilt fashion he also did not record a single assist and his team lost by one point. But it neatly encapsulates his signature production powered by spectacular athleticism. 

So do all his holiday games, really. Chamberlain ranks fourth all time in points per game on Christmas with 31.7. Additionally the Hall of Fame center averaged 25.3 rebounds per contest over his six Yuletide games. The story of the NBA cannot be told without Wilt The Stilt and such is the case when it comes to the league’s Christmas history. 

Oscar Robertson

Before James, Robertson was the NBA’s favorite player to showcase on Christmas. The Big O finished his Hall of Fame career with 12 Christmas games and owns several individual records. Robertson remains the NBA’s all-time leader in Christmas triple-doubles with four; no other player has posted more than two. He also is top among all players with the most free throws made on Christmas (125) and assists (145), although that second record is in serious jeopardy given James clocks in with 137 all-time Christmas assists leading into this year’s holiday games. 

Robertson’s first Christmas showcase came in 1960 for the Cincinnati Royals, 13 years after the NBA began to play on the holiday. He then suited up nearly every year through Christmas of ’72 (he was left off the ’70 slate) with the final two coming as a member of the Bucks after the Royals traded Robertson to Milwaukee. The star point guard led his team to wins over since-defunct franchises like the St. Louis Hawks as well as more familiar brands like the Pistons and Bulls. 

As the original stat-stuffing point guard, Robertson racked up big numbers throughout those Yuletide showcases. While the tracking of rebounds and assists was sporadic during that time, points were closely accounted for and over the course of his legendary career Robertson averaged 31.4 points per game on Christmas. His best singular performance came in 1963 against the Hawks; Robertson shot 50% from the floor, scored 38 points, dished out 16 assists and brought down 15 rebounds in a six-point victory for the Royals. 

As the years go on and the NBA continues to build out new Christmas traditions, Robertson’s role in the league’s infancy as a face of holiday basketball should not be forgotten. 

Nikola Jokić

For a player with a reputation for caring more about his horses than the game of basketball, Jokić certainly seems to care quite a bit when it comes to playing on Christmas. 

The three-time MVP was the author of one of the greatest individual performances in Yuletide basketball history back in 2022. Jokić scored 41 points to pair with 15 rebounds and 15 assists to lead the Nuggets past the Suns. The stat line was eye-popping and historic beyond just the Christmas season; it marked only the third 40-15-15 game in NBA history to that point. Thanks to that stunning performance and as he’s continued to rack up the accolades Jokić has become a modern favorite of the league to play on Christmas. He has five holiday games on his résumé so far and this year will mark his sixth Christmas game, as well as his fourth straight. 

The Serbian superstar’s iconic blend of brute strength, feathery touch and relentless motor has led to a career Christmas average of 27.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. Beyond that Jokić has a habit of playing in tight games on the holiday. Each of his last three Christmas games have been decided by 10 points or fewer, and the fourth quarter of those three games all began with a single-digit point deficit. Close games means the stars will get plenty of minutes, which means Jokić’s nigh-unbelievable endurance gets a share of the spotlight, too—he’s played at least 38 minutes in all but one of his Christmas games. 

Jokić needs a couple more notable showings under his belt before he can rival James as the modern NBA Christmas legend. But he’s already made a great case to be considered one of the best. Apparently there’s just something about the big man playing on Yuletide that leads to entertainment for the fans, whether in the form of a typically maestro-like performance from the perennial MVP candidate or a hotly contested game. If we’re lucky, both. This year’s clash with the Timberwolves as the final game of the night offers Jokić yet another opportunity to show out for the Christmas audience. 

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