Christmas Day and the NBA are basically married at this point. You wake up, there’s wrapping paper everywhere, the coffee is probably cold, and suddenly Bernard King is scoring 60 points on a grainy highlights reel while you wait for the noon tip-off. It’s a tradition that started way back in 1947 when the New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers. Since then, it’s morphed into the league’s unofficial "opening day" for the casual fan.
If you don't care about basketball until the tree is up, you aren't alone.
The league knows this. They bank on it. While the NFL has recently started aggressively crashing the Christmas party with triple-headers, basketball games on christmas remain the primary cultural heartbeat of the NBA season. It’s the day when the superstars—LeBron, Steph, Giannis—actually feel like they’re playing for something more than just a random regular-season win.
The Logistics of a Holiday Marathon
Scheduling five consecutive games is a nightmare. It really is. The NBA has to balance TV ratings, player travel, and the inevitable "fatigue factor" that comes with playing on a day when most of the world is eating ham and taking naps. ESPN and ABC own the broadcast rights, and they squeeze every bit of drama out of the matchups.
Typically, the slate starts at Madison Square Garden. Why? Because the Knicks are the permanent hosts of Christmas. Even when they were terrible—and let’s be real, there were some dark years in the mid-2010s—they still got the noon slot. It’s about the market size and the specific "vibes" of a snowy New York afternoon.
From there, the schedule usually migrates to the powerhouse matchups in the East, like Milwaukee or Boston, before finishing with a late-night West Coast showdown, often featuring the Lakers or the Warriors. It's a ten-to-twelve-hour broadcast commitment. If you’re a fan, it’s glorious. If you’re a player’s spouse, it probably sucks.
When the NFL Decided to Play Grinch
For decades, the NBA owned December 25th. The NFL usually stayed away unless the holiday fell on a Sunday or Monday. But things changed recently. In 2022 and 2023, the NFL realized people will watch football even if it’s Christmas, and they put up massive rating numbers that dwarfed the NBA's viewership.
💡 You might also like: What Channel is Champions League on: Where to Watch Every Game in 2026
Honestly, it’s a bit of a turf war now.
Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner, has been open about the challenge. He’s noted that while the NBA celebrates the tradition, they can’t ignore the "juggernaut" that is professional football. This has led to more "strategic" scheduling. The NBA now leans harder into rivalry games. They want the stuff that generates Twitter clips. They want the Ja Morant dunks and the Luka Doncic triple-doubles.
Why the "Superstar" Narrative Drives the Slate
The league doesn't just pick the best teams. They pick the best faces.
You’ll notice that teams like the Orlando Magic or the Indiana Pacers, even when they have winning records, often get snubbed. Meanwhile, a struggling Lakers team will almost always find a spot on the Christmas calendar. LeBron James holds the record for the most games played on Christmas Day, passing Kobe Bryant. It’s not a coincidence. Fans tune in to see the icons.
- LeBron James: The undisputed king of the holiday schedule.
- Kevin Durant: Usually involved in the highest-scoring matchups.
- Stephen Curry: The guy who everyone wants to see hit ten threes while they eat leftovers.
The Most Iconic Moments You Actually Remember
We can’t talk about basketball games on christmas without mentioning the 2016 Finals rematch. The Cavaliers and the Warriors. It was peak NBA. Kyrie Irving hit a turnaround jumper over Klay Thompson with 3.4 seconds left to win it. It felt like a playoff game in December. That’s the "Gold Standard."
Then there was the 2004 "grudge match" between Kobe and Shaq. It was the first time they played each other after Shaq was traded to the Heat. The hype was disgusting. It was everywhere. And the game actually lived up to it, with Shaq fouling out and Kobe dropping 42 in a losing effort.
📖 Related: Eastern Conference Finals 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
Sometimes, the holiday brings out the weirdness, too. Like the "Big Color" jerseys from a few years ago—those monochromatic uniforms that made everyone look like a giant highlighter. Some people loved them. Most people thought they were an eyesore. But that’s the point; it’s a spectacle.
The Under-the-Radar Stress for Players
We see the glitz, but the players see a 5:00 AM flight on Christmas Eve.
JJ Redick has been vocal in the past about how much he disliked playing on the holiday. He famously said, "I’m all for the fans... but I’d like to be with my family." It’s a genuine trade-off. While the league pays these guys millions, they are also losing one of the few guaranteed days off in a grueling 82-game schedule.
There's also the "Christmas Slump." Shooting percentages sometimes dip during the early games. Maybe it's the weird start times. Maybe it's the distractions. Whatever it is, the "Noon Game" in New York is notoriously difficult for visiting teams who aren't used to a 10:00 AM body-clock tip-off.
How to Bet (and Watch) These Games Smarter
If you’re looking at the betting lines for basketball games on christmas, you have to account for the "Home Court" energy. Historically, home teams have a slight edge, but it’s the over/under that gets tricky. These games are often high-scoring because the refs tend to let the stars play, and nobody wants to see a 88-82 defensive slog on a holiday.
- Check the injury reports 48 hours out. The NBA often announces rest days late.
- Look for the "First Time" stars. Young guys playing their first Christmas game usually try to over-perform to prove they belong in the elite tier.
- Watch the line movement. If a star is "questionable," the line will swing wildly about two hours before tip.
The 2025-2026 season looks to continue the trend of international dominance. Expect to see Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama featured heavily. The NBA is no longer just an American holiday tradition; it’s a global broadcast aimed at fans in Europe and China who are watching in the middle of the night.
👉 See also: Texas vs Oklahoma Football Game: Why the Red River Rivalry is Getting Even Weirder
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Christmas Slate
To get the most out of the upcoming schedule, stop relying on the generic sports apps that give you basic scores.
Download the NBA App early and set notifications specifically for "Game Starts" on the 25th. Because the games run back-to-back, if one goes into overtime, the next one is often pushed to a secondary channel like ESPN2 or moves its start time on the fly.
Sync your calendar. Most major sports sites offer a "Sync to Calendar" feature for the Christmas Day schedule. Do this at the start of December. It accounts for time zone shifts, which is the easiest way to miss the first quarter of the West Coast games.
Monitor the "L2M" (Last Two Minute) reports. If you’re a hardcore fan, check the league’s officiating reports from the previous year’s holiday games. It gives you a sense of how tight the whistles are during these high-profile broadcasts, which is invaluable if you’re into live-betting the spread.
Finally, don't just watch the scoreboard. Watch the rotations. Coaches often use Christmas as a "test run" for playoff-style rotations, shortening the bench and playing their stars for 38+ minutes. It’s the best preview you’ll get of what May and June will actually look like.