Christmas Day Games Show the Joy, Sacrifice, and Magic of NBA Holidays
Christmas Day in the NBA has always been about more than just basketball. It’s a mix of tradition, sacrifice, nostalgia, and unforgettable moments, and every year, players and coaches are reminded just how strange and special it feels to work while the rest of the world is opening presents.
For someone like Doc Rivers, Christmas games have blurred together over decades. Since the 1980s, he has been involved in holiday matchups as both a player and a coach, and while the exact dates may fade, the emotions never do. Playing on Christmas is often described as a love-hate experience. Family time is missed, routines are disrupted, and yet, winning on that stage is said to feel extra special. The joy of walking back home after a Christmas victory has been remembered as one of the most satisfying feelings in the sport.
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Around the league, teams that are selected for Christmas know it comes with responsibility. Only ten teams are chosen, and that selection is seen as a sign of relevance. For the Golden State Warriors, who are playing on Christmas for the 13th straight year, it has become part of their identity. When the Warriors are on the road, families are often flown in so traditions can still be honored in hotel rooms and ballrooms instead of living rooms.
For the James family, Christmas has always required flexibility. Bronny James grew up watching his father, LeBron, play on December 25 almost every year. Presents were sometimes opened early, sometimes late, and sometimes without LeBron in the room. Still, the meaning of the holiday was never lost. Last Christmas became historic when LeBron and Bronny shared a roster on the holiday, marking a rare father-son milestone. Even with records and accolades, LeBron has admitted that he would rather be home on the couch, but the honor of playing on Christmas has always outweighed the sacrifice.
Stephen Curry has similar memories. As a kid, Christmas meant watching NBA games all day, so stepping onto that stage himself has always felt surreal. Even though his shooting numbers on Christmas haven’t always matched his usual standards, the energy of the day is understood to be different. The crowd is festive, the moment feels bigger, and the game carries a unique weight.
Not all memories are joyful. Steve Kerr still carries a Christmas nightmare from his playing days, a late-game mistake that haunted him for years. Yet even those painful moments have become part of the holiday lore that fans revisit every December.
In the end, Christmas Day games are described as an honor that comes with a cost. As players, they crave the spotlight. As humans, they miss home. And somehow, every year, the NBA manages to turn that tension into magic that feels inseparable from the holiday itself.
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