After a sudden burst of life, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to win games again this season. Losing Anthony Davis indefinitely has hurt the team the way most expect. They have needed LeBron James to be near-invincible to win their last few games. James isn't superhuman, though, as he has been dealing with various injuries throughout the year. Like he often is, LeBron was listed as probable for Sunday's Christmas matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. But as expected, he's in the lineup and eclipses Kobe Bryant as the player with the most Christmas Day games under his belt.

It's a testament to LeBron's skill that he's always scheduled to play during the holidays. This is James' 17th Christmas game of his illustrious career.

The Lakers will need every bit of LeBron James' production to hold off Luka Doncic and the Mavs on Christmas. The Mavs have also had their struggles this season, but they're in a much better place than LA this season. Doncic has also been excellent this season, as he has single-handedly willed Dallas to a couple of improbable wins this season.

To sum it all up: LeBron James is playing for the Lakers on Christmas Day against the Mavs. He has little reason not to play, given LA's current standing and what's at stake for his legacy as he chases Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record.