‘Tis the (basketball) season to be jolly.
The NBA will showcase plenty of exciting games on Christmas Day. LeBron James returns to Miami for the first time as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Spurs and the Thunder meet in a rematch of the 2013-2014 season Western Conference Finals. The Warriors and the Clippers meet in a pivotal Southeast Division showdown, and more. Before we get excited for this year’s edition, let’s first take a look at the top five NBA Christmas performances of all time.
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[sc:NBAArticles ]Top 5 NBA Christmas Games of All Time
No. 5 – LeBron James vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, 2010
LeBron James first visited Staples Center with the Miami Heat on Christmas Day in 2010. He scored 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 10 assists to notch his 31st career triple-double. James’ performance is even more impressive considering the Lakers were coming off back-to-back championship wins in 2009 and 2010.
No. 4 – Nate Archibald vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, 1972
Christmas Day of 1972, Nate Archibald was Santa Claus to the Kansas City Kings. He handed off 18 dimes (a Christmas record that still stands today) when the Kings took on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Milwaukee Bucks. Archibald became the first player to lead the league in both scoring (34 points) and assists (11.4 assists) per game.
No. 3 – Philadelphia Warriors vs. New York Knicks, 1961
[sc:NBA240banner ]Searching for one of the greatest performances ever? Look no further than Wilt Chamberlain’s 1961 Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks. Chamberlain scored 59 points and hauled in 36 boards. He still holds the record for pulling down the most rebounds in a single December 25 game.
No. 2 – Michael Jordan vs. New York Knicks, 1992
On the heels of back-to-back NBA titles and an Olympic gold medal, Michael Jordan showed no signs of slowing down on Chirstmas Day of 1992. Jordan racked up 42 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals as the Bulls routed Patrick Ewing and the Knicks, 89-77.
No. 1 – Bernard King vs. the New Jersey Nets, 1984
The Big Dipper’s 59 points on Christmas Day of 1961 seemed impossible to surpass—until Bernard King got his chance to break the record 23 years later. The Knicks’ scoring machine dropped 60 points on a Christmas Day game in 1984. Despite scoring a truckload of points, King and the Knicks ultimately lost 120-114 to the Nets. King still holds the highest single-game Christmas Day scoring record to this day.
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