The NBA having games on Christmas Day is a tradition unlike any other in the sport. Christmas Day games are an annual occurrence in the NBA, and the league has had games during the biggest holiday of the year on an annual basis (except during the 1998 lockout season) since 1947. NBA Christmas Day games feature the best teams and players in the league, and it tends to lead to classic outcomes and iconic performances. Several legendary players have had incredible games on Christmas, and it is always in front of a lot of eyes as Christmas games are always some of the most watched regular season games. With the 2023 slate of Christmas games right around the corner, we are going to rank the best individual performances in NBA history.
15. Bill Russell, 1965
Bill Russell delivered a classic Bill Russell performance on Christmas Day in 1965. The Boston Celtics' legend always did what his team needed him to do to win games, even if it meant he would sacrifice as a scorer, and that was evident in this game. Russell only had 16 points, but he couldn't be stopped on the glass. The big man absorbed 34 rebounds, and it led to a 113-99 Celtics win.
14. Michael Jordan, 1992
It seems no NBA list is complete without Michael Jordan making an appearance. The greatest player of all time also had one of the greatest individual NBA Christmas Day performances ever. During the 1992-93 season, Jordan had already won back-to-back championships and was already establishing himself as one of the greatest basketball players ever. He was finally in the conversations with the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Neither of those players are on this list, though. Jordan is because he dropped 42 points on the New York Knicks on Christmas Day in 1992.
It was one of many impressive scoring games by Jordan during his career, and he outdid those 42 points in many other games. However, 42 points is a ton for most players, and they came in Jordan's best Christmas Day game ever. Additionally, this game in 1992 was another example of Jordan dominating against the Knicks, something that was commonplace for Jordan in the '90s.
13. Dominique Wilkens, 1989
The Human Highlight Film had a highlight-worthy display on Dec. 25, 1989. Dominique Wilkens had 45 points and nine rebounds on Christmas Day in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
12. Kyrie Irving, 2018
A lot of disappointment came with Kyrie Irving's tenure with the Boston Celtics. His 2018 Christmas performance is not one of those disappointments, though, and it even serves as a “what could have been” reminder of this part of Irving's otherwise legendary career. The game was another Christmas Day classic, as the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime by a score of 121-114. Irving was the best player, as he had 40 points and 10 rebounds, the latter of which is an extremely impressive number for a guard on the shorter side.
11. Kevin Durant, 2010
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers ever. That was on full display on Dec. 25, 2010. Durant dropped 44 points on the Denver Nuggets, and he gifted Oklahoma City Thunder fans with a 114-106 victory.
10. Kobe Bryant, 2004
The Los Angeles Lakers have the most NBA Christmas Day wins in history, and a lot of those came with Kobe Bryant leading the way. His game in 2004 was particularly special, though, as Bryant was set to take on Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat. O'Neal was Bryant's co-star in the years prior, but he was traded to the Heat in the offseason after the duo had won three championships together.
Christmas Day would serve as the first time the two would play against each other, and the results didn't disappoint. Bryant – with his 42 points and six assists – outplayed O'Neal. However, O'Neal got the last laugh as the Heat won 104-102. The game was a thriller and wasn't decided until overtime concluded.
9. Tracy McGrady, 2003
While LeBron James has had plenty of legendary Christmas performances in his own right, he was out-dueled by Tracy McGrady on Dec. 25, 2003. McGrady had 41 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals as a member of the Orlando Magic. He beat rookie James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime after a dominant stretch in the game's extra time frame.
8. Scottie Pippen, 1994
Scottie Pippen was always in Michael Jordan's shadow when the G.O.A.T was on the Bulls, but when Jordan was playing baseball in 1994-95, Pippen had his moment in the spotlight. Pippen had one of his best games as the top dog on Christmas Day. He had 36 points, 16 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks. Pippen was always able to fill the stat sheet, but rarely did he score so effectively. The Bulls beat the New York Knicks, 107-104 in overtime.
7. LeBron James, 2010
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were in opposite conferences, so they never played each other in the playoffs' first three rounds. Unfortunately, they also never faced off in the NBA Finals. Still, the two players were the best players of their respective eras, so when they did play each other, it was a big deal. NBA Christmas Day isn't the same as the postseason, but it is perhaps the next best thing. The two legends had one of their most iconic matchups on Christmas Day in 2010. James got the best of Bryant, as he had a triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
It was a defense-first game, as the final score was only 96-80, with James' new team, the Miami Heat, coming out on top. The Heat's new big three was already on the map, but by beating the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Heat proved that they were for real. In a game dominated by defense, James was one of the few bright spots on the other side of the ball. James shot an impressive 5-6 from three-point land, but he also put up the first triple-double on NBA Christmas Day since 1970 (Billy Cunningham).
6. Dwyane Wade, 2006
Dwyane Wade was almost always considered the second-best shooting guard during his playing days, with Kobe Bryant being the two-guard who was crowned as king. This could have been argued during Wade's impressive stretch from 2005 to 2006, though. He won a championship in only his third year in 2006, and then he bested Bryant during the following season's Christmas game.
Wade had 40 points and 11 rebounds for the Miami Heat in this game, and somehow, his defense was even better. Wade had four steals and played stifling defense the entire night on his primary matchup, Kobe Bryant. He limited Bryant to only 16 points, which was the Lakers' star's lowest scoring output to that point in that season. The Heat beat the Lakers in decisive fashion, with the end score being 101-85.
5. Rick Barry, 1966
Rick Barry scored 50 points on Christmas Day in 1966. He is one of only three players with 50 points in a Christmas game. Barry's granny-style free throw technique was on full display in this game, as he shot an impressive 12-13 from the charity stripe.
4. Oscar Robertson, 1961
Oscar Robertson was the master of the triple-double, so it comes as no surprise that he put up such a stat line in one of his NBA Christmas Day performances. In 1961, Robertson had 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 17 assists against the Lakers, but it was not enough to win the game.
3. Nikola Jokic, 2022
Last Christmas, Nikola Jokic had a massive game. The defending NBA Finals MVP had a case for his third straight regular season MVP last year. While Joel Embiid ended up winning that award, Christmas Day was a prime example of how good The Joker was/is. Jokic had 41-15-15 in an overtime classic that the Nuggets won, 128-125. Jokic became only the third NBA player ever to put up at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists, regardless of if it was Christmas Day or not.
2. Bernard King, 1984
The New York Knicks have the most games played on Christmas Day. Their heyday was during the '70s, but many thought Bernard King was going to bring back glory to the city of New York in the '80s. This was exemplified by his Christmas Day performance in 1984. King went on to be the scoring champion in 1984-85, and that is partly due to his iconic Christmas performance. King scored 60 points on NBA Christmas Day. Not only is that a single-game high for anyone on the holiday in the NBA's history, but it was also King's career-best scoring day. Unfortunately, the Knicks still lost, 120-114, to the New Jersey Nets.
1. Wilt Chamberlain, 1961
Unfortunately, the top two individual performances on NBA Christmas Day history both came in a loss. Like King, Chamberlain was unstoppable on Christmas, but his teammates didn't do enough to help him come away with a win. Chamberlain always put up record-shattering statistics, and that was no different on Christmas Day in 1961. Chamberlain scored 59 points and secured 36 rebounds against the Knicks, but his Warriors lost in double-overtime. That is still the most rebounds ever on Christmas Day.
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