NBA on Christmas Day History: Which teams have played the most Christmas games?
By Elaine Blum
Christmas Day is one of the biggest stages NBA teams can play on during the regular season. Being selected for a game is an honor for any team. This is when the league wants to showcase its brightest stars, biggest rivalries, and best teams.
Last year featured all of the most recent MVP winners, NBA champions, and the biggest names in the game. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kevin Durant were all in action.
This is one of the NBA's longer traditions, and fans always get pumped up for the Christmas Day matchups. It is a full day of thrilling matchups between some of the best players and teams.
History of NBA Christmas Day Games
The NBA first started scheduling games on Christmas Day in 1947–its second season. At first, matchups were dictated by location and geographical rivalries, so players would still have a chance to spend some time with their families.
Since then, things changed quite a lot, and the focus moved toward showcasing some of the best players and teams every year. Thus, we now get to see MVPs, reigning champions, and teams that made deep playoff runs in the previous season on Christmas Day.
The first time the NBA appeared on national TV on Christmas Day was in 1967 when the Lakers took on the San Diego Rockets in front of a national audience. In the following decades, the NBA Christmas Day games gained more and more traction, airing on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.
Starting in 2008, the league puts on five games on Christmas Day, usually bringing in some of the highest TV ratings for the regular season—unless the NFL is playing as well.
Over the years, there have been some memorable Christmas Day moments in the NBA. In 1984, New York Knicks forward Bernard King scored 60 points, which is still the most points scored in a Christmas Day game. Knicks legend Patrick Ewing also put together some great Christmas Day games. In 1985, he led his team back from a 25-point deficit to beat Boston, and the following year, he closed out the Bulls with a last-second shot.
Years after that, in 2004, fans got to watch Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neil face on Christmas Day after they parted ways as Lakers teammates. It was the most-viewed regular season game since 1998 at that time.
NBA Teams with the most Christmas Day appearances
Teams | # of appearances | W-L record | Last appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
New York Knicks | 56 | 24-32 | 2023 |
Los Angeles Lakers | 50 | 24-26 | 2023 |
Boston Celtics | 37 | 17-20 | 2023 |
Philadelphia 76ers | 34 | 19-15 | 2023 |
Golden State Warriors | 33 | 15-18 | 2023 |
Detroit Pistons | 32 | 10-22 | 2005 |
Sacramento Kings | 29 | 18-11 | 2003 |
New York Knicks
With 56 games played on Christmas Day, the New York Knicks have been a part of NBA action on December 25 more than any other team in league history. The Knicks were one of the first teams to play on Christmas Day. In 1947-48, the league's second season, they beat the Providence Steamrollers 89-75.
Over the years, Knicks players have put on some memorable performances on Christmas Day. Most notable is Bernard King's 60-point performance in 1984. No player has broken his Christmas Day record yet.
The last time the Knicks played on Christmas Day was in 2023 when they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 129-122. So far, the Knicks have a 24-32 record on Christmas Day. They have matched up most with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.
New York is expected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season, so we will probably see them add another Christmas Day appearance to the list.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are one of the NBA's most storied franchises, and the league rarely misses an opportunity to showcase them on Christmas Day. So far, the Lakers have appeared in 50 Christmas Day games with a 24-26 record.
They played their first Christmas Day game in 1949-50 as the Minneapolis Lakers, beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 72-58.
The most notable game the Lakers played on Christmas Day was arguably in 2004 when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal faced off after their fallout as teammates on the Lakers. Since 1999, there has not been a Christmas Day without the Lakers playing.
They last faced off against the Boston Celtics in 2023.
Boston Celtics
Much like the Lakers, the Boston Celtics are one of the NBA's biggest and most well-known franchises. They hold the league record for most championships won with 18 and were easily the best team in the NBA last season.
So far, the Celtics have played in 37 Christmas Day games, winning 17 of them. The first time they suited up on Christmas Day was in 1948, resulting in a close 80-77 loss to the Philadelphia Warriors. Over the years, they have faced off against the New York Knicks most on Christmas Day. Out of eight games, they won five.
Last year, the Celtics played the Lakers, winning 126-115. The Celtics have become a staple of Christmas Day action and have played every year since 2016.
How often did the Orlando Magic play on Christmas Day?
The Orlando Magic are not one of the teams frequently seen in action on Christmas Day. So far, the Magic played in nine Christmas Day games, winning five of them.
Orlando's first Christmas Day game was in the 1993-94 season, ending with a loss to the Chicago Bulls. The last time the Magic played was in 2011.
This year, the Magic might not be one of the first teams considered to play on Christmas Day, but they have a case for why the league would want to showcase this young squad.
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