Christmas Day in the NBA is where stars shine the brightest. Christmas games are the biggest and most watched NBA games during the regular season. The teams and players chosen to play on the big day are always the best and most marketable in the league, and matchups are created with the idea of getting an entertaining game in mind. Because the best players play on Christmas Day, and because great players often are at their best in the national spotlight, there have been a number of legendary players who have made quite a career during the holiday. Some players have had great individual performances, but this list ranks the best NBA players on Christmas Day throughout their entire careers. To make this list, you have to have thrived playing on Christmas Day for an extended period of time. Therefore, a player like Tracy McGrady is not on this list. McGrady averaged 43.3 points per game on Christmas, but he only played on the holiday three times.
10. Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes is a forgotten legend by many, but he is a legend nonetheless. Even during his playing days, the league was pinning the best players against each other on Christmas Day. Schayes was one such player, and he is the ninth leading scorer on the holiday all time with 239 total points. In 1957, Schayes scored 33 points on the Knicks during Christmas. This was a big deal as the Knicks have always been one of the most important teams on Christmas Day.
9. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA, and that has always been on display on Christmas Day. The current Suns' forward is fifth in Christmas scoring, with 299 points in 10 games. That comes out to 29.9 points per game, and as he is set to play again this Christmas, no one would be surprised if his scoring averages on the holiday surpassed the 30 mark. In 2010, Durant had 44 points on the Denver Nuggets on Christmas. Seventy-five of Durant's Christmas points have come via the three-ball. He has the third most three-point makes on Christmas Day.
8. Dwyane Wade
Dwayne Wade is tied with LeBron James for the most total wins (10) on Christmas Day. Some of those were signature wins when the two were teammates, but Wade did plenty of damage on his own, too. Wade had one of the best two-way Christmas games ever when he had 40 points and held Kobe Bryant to 16. Wade was always an elite perimeter defender with an unusual ability to block shots. His defense was always on full display on Christmas. Wade played “The Grinch” role well, but he stole basketballs instead of presents. He had 23 total Christmas Day steals. Wade wasn't all defense, though, as he also had 314 total points scored, which ranks as the fourth-most.
7. Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is capable of stuffing the stat sheet, and he has always done a little bit of everything during Christmas games. Westbrook is now on the Los Angeles Clippers, but most of his Christmas magic came with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook is seventh in Christmas scoring (254 points) and third in total assists (93). He has also been a menace on the defensive end. He once had six steals in a single Christmas game, and that has led to him being the best Christmas steal artist ever, as he had 29 steals on Dec. 25.
6. Tiny Archibald
Christmas is the season of giving, and Tiny Archibald always took that to heart. Archibald is arguably the best passer to ever lace 'em up on Christmas Day. Archibald handed out 18 assists on Dec. 25, 1972. That is a Christmas Day record, but he also had 16 dishes during Christmas three years later.
5. Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal was a dominant force on both ends, but he was much better known throughout his career for his abilities on offense. On Christmas, though, O'Neal always brought the heat on defense. That is why his 25 blocks on Christmas are four more than anyone else. O'Neal played on Christmas Day 13 times, and he is also third in rebounding with 155 total rebounds.
4. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain's Christmas Day performance in 1961 was the best Christmas performance ever. He secured 36 rebounds, which is a single-game record on the holiday. He also scored 59 points, which is the second-most ever on Christmas. He wasn't a one-hit wonder, though. Chamberlain had 34 rebounds exactly two years prior, and he ended his Christmas career with 152 total rebounds.
3. Kobe Bryant
A big part of Kobe Bryant's motivation was trying to be better than his former teammate, Shaquille O'Neal. On this list, he ranks two spots higher than the big man. In fact, Bryant's best Christmas Day game came against O'Neal. Bryant scored 42 points in his first game playing against O'Neal, and it happened to line up on Christmas Day.
All time on Christmas, Bryant is second in games played (16), second in scoring (395 points), fourth in assists (85), and fifth in steals (17).
Bryant always put on a show for fans on Christmas, but he can't rank higher on this list because he did it inefficiently. Bryant wanted to shine in the biggest moments, but it led to him forcing things too much. He has the three worst turnover games on Christmas, as he turned the ball over eight times twice and nine times once. Additionally, Bryant often shot a poor field goal percentage in the Christmas games that he put up a lot of points.
2. Oscar Robertson
Because he was so good at triple-doubles, Oscar Robertson was always a stat darling. That remained the case on Christmas Day. His 377 total points are the second most, and his 144 assists are the most on Christmas Day. Robertson thrived at getting his teammates involved on the 25th, as four of the seven best passing performances on Christmas were by Big O.
Robertson wasn't just a passer, though. His 377 points are the second most on Christmas, and his 31.4 points per game mark is the fifth-best ever on the holiday.
1. LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players ever, and some even consider him the greatest. While that can be debated, you can't debate whether he is the greatest Christmas Day NBA player ever. LeBron James and Christmas Day have become synonymous together. He's played on the holiday 17 (soon to be 18) different times. No one else has played on Christmas as many times as James; in fact, few players have even played in as many total seasons as James has played on Christmas. The volume is most definitely there for James, but he hasn't just been a body on the court when out there. The King has a number of Christmas Day records to his name.
James is first in total points on Christmas. His 460 points amount to 27 points per game. He has done it efficiently, too, as he has shot 49.5 from the floor over that time. James is more known for his inside scoring than his outside, but he has had some of his best shooting games on Christmas. In 2010, he shot 5-6 from deep. The following year, James put up 37 points. He even has a Christmas Day triple-double to his name. James is second in Christmas Day assists (119), steals (26), and three-point makes (28).
It is the season of giving, and LeBron James always gifts fans with great performances and iconic moments when he suits up on Christmas.
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