Christmas Day basketball seems to bring some extra stuff out of the NBA’s biggest stars. Here’s a look at 12 players that could (further) write themselves into the high-profile history of Dec. 25:
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
After some growing pains early in the season, the restructured Bucks are coalescing quickly. Giannis is both leading and benefitting from that effort. After an already impressive November, the Greek Freak has dramatically upped his free throw attempts (10.2/14.0) and assists (5.1/6.9) in December.
As a result, Milwaukee has roared back toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The 2021 NBA champions sit just a half-game back of first-place Boston, and Antetokounmpo is the freight train force behind the Bucks’ surge.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 3-2
- Stats on Christmas Day: 25.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 4.4 apg
Milwaukee’s matinee matchup at New York (12 ET, ESPN) is a reunion of sorts; Antetokounmpo’s first-ever Christmas Day game took place at Madison Square Garden in 2018. His holiday debut on that stage proved to be a good omen. The then-24-year-old led Milwaukee past the Knicks with 30 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. That performance formed part of the swell that carried him to his first Kia MVP award that season.
2. Devin Booker
Booker’s transition from shooting guard to point guard has been, statistically, a success. The nine-year pro ranks sixth in the league in assists (8.2) and seventh in potential assists (14.8) per game. He’s doing that while still upping his scoring to a career-high 27.9 ppg, good for ninth in the league.
Despite Booker’s passing prowess, he and Phoenix enter the holiday in a serious funk. The Suns sit at just 15-14, a result of injuries and inconsistent focus on both ends of the floor.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 0-2
- Stats on Christmas Day: 7.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
A relative newcomer to Christmas Day games, Booker is still looking for his first win on Dec. 25. He’ll try to earn it against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (10:30 ET, ESPN). This recent rivalry saw three of last year’s four matchups decided by four points or fewer.
3. Jimmy Butler
It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t about Miami and Butler in December. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 21.5 points on 46.2% shooting, his worst efficiency since 2019-20 — when he and the Heat made the NBA Finals.
What is real about Butler and his team is the now jersey-enshrined “Heat Culture,” which is often fed by grudges or perceived disrespect. Sunday marks their first Christmas Day game since 2020. It comes against Butler’s former team, the 76ers (8 ET, ESPN), who have seen him lead Miami to the Finals twice since trading him in 2019.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 5-3
- Stats on Christmas Day: 16.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.1 apg
Butler and Miami know when to shift into a higher gear. “Jimmy Buckets” becomes a viral sensation every time it happens. Making that his Christmas nightcap against an old superstar teammate on national television seems too good to pass up.
4. Stephen Curry
If Curry appears to find coal on Christmas, perhaps it’s a sacrifice he paid for gold in June. Not until his ninth holiday game did Curry crack 20 points on Dec. 25 (a 33-point performance against Phoenix in 2021). Even that came on poor shooting, and his previous appearances were less stellar. Wardell is due.
He will look to make that true at the Mile High City (2:30 ET, ABC/ESPN), where the reigning NBA champion Nuggets have proved to be nearly invincible. Curry and the Warriors came close on Nov. 8, losing by just three. They need to flip that ending to keep making up lost ground out West, where Golden State sits 11th and outside the Play-In Tournament.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 4-5
- Stats on Christmas Day: 15.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.7 apg
There are signs in Golden State’s favor. The Warriors have met Draymond Green’s indefinite suspension with four consecutive wins, and Curry has looked like his vintage self of late, especially in an enormous overtime victory over Boston.
5. Anthony Davis
Davis’ Christmas Day resume is relatively short for someone of his NBA experience and individual success. Injuries have played a part, but Davis has not disappointed when he does suit up. His most recent Dec. 25 performance was a 28-point gem in a 2020 win over Dallas.
Davis’ interior involvement has been an interesting litmus test for the Lakers this season. When the eight-time All-Star does not attempt a 3-pointer, Los Angeles is 9-4. In games where he does launch from deep, the Lakers are 6-8.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 1-2
- Stats on Christmas Day: 27.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.0 apg
The East-best Celtics will test Davis’ resolve (5 ET, ABC/ESPN). They allow the fewest paint points per 100 possessions in the league by a country mile, and Boston forces the lowest shooting percentage in the restricted area. Davis, the fourth-best paint scorer in the league, is equipped to unwrap that defense.
6. Luka Doncic
Christmas and Luka Magic are well on their way to becoming synonymous. Last year’s holiday duel with LeBron James was the full Santa bag for basketball fans. Doncic put up a sizzling 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a victory over the Lakers.
Doncic has done more of the same this season, but an injury to Kyrie Irving has sapped the momentum of Dallas’ hot start to the season. Luka has taken on more of a load to try to compensate; his attempts and raw numbers are all markedly up in December.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 1-1
- Stats on Christmas Day: 29.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 8.0 apg
The Mavericks will want all that and more at Phoenix, a team floundering in the middle of the Western Conference. Past meetings between Doncic and Booker have included late-game emotions and confrontations as well as parting commentary in postgame interviews.
7. Kevin Durant
Three years is too long a wait for a Kevin Durant Christmas special. At that time, he was teammates with Kyrie Irving. Now he faces Irving’s Mavericks in a matchup of two teams in need of mid-season wins out West.
Durant’s last and only meeting with Dallas as a member of the Suns did not disappoint. In his third game with Phoenix after being traded, Durant poured in 37 points and the go-ahead bucket in an emotional four-point win over Irving and the Mavericks.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 5-5
- Stats on Christmas Day: 29.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.9 apg
Durant’s holiday high was 44 points against Denver way back in 2010, but the most memorable Christmas Day edition might be his 2016 duel with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. A new member of the Warriors at the time, Durant put up 36 points and 15 rebounds to James’ 31 points and 13 rebounds in an electric 109-108 Cleveland win.
8. LeBron James
The King of Christmas? LeBron is a tradition unto himself, a fact that has seen him pass Kobe Bryant and Oscar Robertson as the all-time leading scorer in Dec. 25 history (460 points). The last time James wasn’t a part of the holiday: 2006.
LeBron isn’t slowing down with his 39th birthday just a week away. His overall shooting is his best since 2017-18. His 3-point efficiency this season is second only to his 2012-13 run with Miami. His steals per game? Most since 2014-15.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 10-7
- Stats on Christmas Day: 27.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.0 apg
James’ raw numbers are a small and incomplete part of the picture he paints. It would be foolish to put a number on how many years, games or Christmases remain for the league’s all-time leading scorer. Yet they are numbered. That, and his Lakers facing a contending team in Boston green, makes this Christmas a can’t-miss.
9. Nikola Jokic
There is no adequately capturing the greatness of Jokic. The undisputed star of the reigning NBA champions has led his team through early injuries and the acclimation of a remade bench rotation. Even those obstacles haven’t kept Denver from a solid top-three record out West. That’s a great sign for the Nuggets and a testament to how Jokic elevates anyone and everyone around him.
There is an individual edge to Jokic as well. Partly out of necessity, his shot attempts (19.0/gm) are a career high. That he is willing to make that jump, even at the expense of his normally off-the-charts efficiency, is another star-studded step in a career full of them. Throw in the fact that Jokic’s turnovers have plummeted, and it’s easy to see why he and Denver are the bar every player and team is trying to clear.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 1-2
- Stats on Christmas Day: 29.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 9.7 apg
Jokic and the Nuggets will want every West win they can earn. Their home-court advantage is that valuable in the playoffs. The Christmas Day atmosphere in Denver against Curry and the Warriors will be a reminder of that.
10. Damian Lillard
Only once has Dame Time struck on Christmas Day. That was 2018, the last season Lillard and the Blazers advanced beyond the first round. Half a decade later, Lillard is a Milwaukee Buck, and his team sits in second place in the Eastern Conference.
The drastic change for the former face of Portland required time to adjust. Lillard’s true shooting has jumped from 60.4% to 65.7% from November to December. Last month, the Bucks were only three net rating points better with Lillard on the floor. In December, that number is a comical 26.2 points per 100 possessions.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 0-1
- Stats on Christmas Day: 20 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg
Lillard takes his penchant for big-game moments (he ranks second in clutch scoring) to Madison Square Garden for a marquee Christmas Day game. It’s a formula that all but promises fireworks.
11. Jayson Tatum
Frequent Christmas Day appearances are a reward for team success as much as anything. Tatum has reaped the benefits since he was a rookie in 2017. As the third overall pick for a Celtics team coming off a surprising Eastern Conference finals run, Tatum has known expectations from the start.
That bar has not lowered since, especially as Tatum’s individual game has risen level by level. The four-time All-Star’s numbers are slightly down this season, but not at the expense of the East’s current first-place team.
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 3-3
- Stats on Christmas Day: 23.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.0 apg
Tatum has played in every Christmas Day of his career. His most recent was his most promising: a 41-point masterpiece against Milwaukee last year. He may call on similar heroics against LeBron and the Lakers in Los Angeles, as the Celtics-Lakers rivalry is renewed yet again.
12. Jaylen Brown
Like Tatum, Brown has played in every Christmas in his career. His most recent four have been stellar: 25 points or more in marquee matchups on the holiday stage.
Brown has also ceded some of his personal production for the good of the team. His energy has been redirected; Brown’s defense within six feet forces opponents to shoot 12.0% worse than their average, an absolute leap compared to the 4.2% difference he made a year ago (and 1.3% the year before).
- W-L record on Christmas Day: 4-3
- Stats on Christmas Day: 17.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.3 apg
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