Since 2008, the NBA has annually gifted hoops fans with a holly, jolly quintuple-header of games on Christmas Day. Now it doesn't always work this way, but the ten teams chosen to play on December 25th are generally considered to be the league's biggest draws or most intriguing teams ahead of the season. Look at the last fifteen years of games and you'll see that LeBron James and the defending NBA champions featured every year. You'll see the league's marquee franchises like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks frequently on the schedule. You'll see Playoff rematches and the league's budding superstars given their chance to showcase their talents in front of the big Christmas Day audience.

Before this season, the Miami Heat had been included on the Christmas Day slate only once since 2016. But just because it's been a while since the Heat had solidified themselves as a Christmas Day staple, it's not lost on Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra how much of an honor it is to be playing on the biggest day of the NBA's regular season.

Heat fans can rejoice that they'll have the opportunity to watch their team after all of the Christmas festivities have been completed, but Miami's hands will be like Santa's belly after he delivered presents all over the world … full. Get it? Santa's belly is full because he ate millions of cookies? It's a Christmas joke, guys.

(Sigh)

The Heat will be playing host to the blistering hot Philadelphia 76ers and MVP front-runner Joel Embiid in a rematch of a 2nd-round Playoff series from two years ago.