It's the season of giving, and on these 11 Christmas Day celebrations, the NBA reached into its big red bag and produced especially memorable games
1) 1947: Bullets 87, Stags 70 (the original Christmas Day slate)
Though the concept of Christmas games being a marquee event for the NBA didn't really start until the '80s, the league has been scheduling contests on the holiday going back to 1947. Three games were played on Christmas Day of that year, including Red Auerbach's Washington Capitols defeating the St. Louis Bombers, while Carl Braun and the Knicks cruised past the Providence Steam Rollers (who were on their way to one of the worst seasons of all-time, finishing 6-42). Meanwhile, two perceivable title contenders took the floor in Baltimore. The hometown Bullets (who have no relation to the current Washington franchise) had just joined the BAA from the ABL, where they had won the 1946 title. Their best player was Kleggie Hermsen, a gangly veteran center, while they also featured a young Connie Simmons and point guard Buddy Jeannette, who doubled as the head coach. The Chicago Stags were anchored by the one-two punch of Max Zaslofsky, who would eventually finish second in scoring that season, and Stan Miasek. Baltimore was slumping, having lost six of their previous seven, when their Christmas decimation of the Stags seemed to jump start the squad. Both teams wound up with a final record of 28-20 and met in the league semifinals, which the Bullets won in a two-game sweep en route to a BAA championship. Despite early success on the court, the Stags franchise slumped financially and was forced to fold in 1950. The Bullets made it several more seasons, but closed up shop in 1955, the last NBA franchise to dissipate for 64 years and counting now. They are also the only franchise in any of the four major American pro sports to fold after winning a championship.
2) 1984: Nets 120, Knicks 114 (Bernard King scores 60)
The Christmas Day NBA slate remained a tradition in the sense that it happened annually, but it wasn't really an event per se until the mid '80s, when Bernard King made headlines. Though the Knicks provided its fans mostly lumps of coal in the '84-'85 season, finishing 34 games under .500 after back-to-back playoff trips, there was one bountiful gift delivery on Christmas Day that season, courtesy of King. Playing at home on December 25th was a regular occurrence for the Knicks, no surprise given the traditional marriage of New York and Christmas, from the Rockettes to ice skating at Rockefeller Center to Miracle on 34th Street. Starting in 1981, the yearly opponent became the local rival New Jersey Nets. Leading into the 1984 edition, King was carrying a group of cast-offs to a 12-18 record, while the Nets were struggling despite the presence of newly acquired former Knicks star Micheal Ray Richardson. Their last two Christmas match-ups had been classics, with the Nets winning 112-110 in overtime in 1982, and the Knicks returning the favor with the exact same final score in 1983. But those are mere footnotes now compared to King's performance in 1984. While "King Scores 60 on Christmas" is a familiar storyline for even casual fans, many don't realize the Knicks actually lost the game in spite of his performance. Led by 36 points from Richardson, and 27 from Mike Gminski, New Jersey came from behind to win 120-114. But King's 60 is the enduring feat. He broke Richie Guerin's 25-year-old team record of 57 for most points in a game, and became the first NBA player to top 60 in a game since George Gervin on the final night of the '77-'78 season (the next to do it was Larry Bird, just months after King). King would play just 55 games in the '84-'85 season due to a devastating knee injury, but still won the scoring title with 32.9 points per game.
3) 1985: Knicks 113, Celtics 104 (miraculous comeback against a legendary team)
The silver lining for the Knicks in Bernard King's injury and their subsequent struggles during the '84-'85 season was that it led directly to them winning the draft lottery and landing Patrick Ewing, who came along to own the Big Apple for the next 14 years. Despite the star rookie center's presence, the Knicks were far from ready for contention, but a Christmas game against an Eastern Conference powerhouse, the Celtics, provided a glimpse of their future. New York was 9-19 entering the tilt, while it's no exaggeration now to say that Boston, then 21-6, was in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in NBA history. Led by Larry Bird in his absolute prime, they featured a deadly supporting cast with Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Scott Wedman, and a rejuvenated Bill Walton. Though Boston was in a bit of a rut, having lost three of their previous five while Bird struggled with back soreness, by all applicable measures the Christmas Day match-up should have been a blowout. And it was, for about the first 32 minutes. The Celtics led 46-32 at halftime, and by as much as 25 in the third quarter, before the Knicks started to chip away at the lead. Ewing was dominant down the stretch, scoring 18 in the 4th quarter and 32 for the game, a then career high, to go along with 11 rebounds. Steady point guard Rory Sparrow and sharp shooter Trent Tucker were the team's other heroes for the day. Sparrow had 22 points and eight assists, and his game-tying free throws sent the contest to overtime. Tucker then hit a tying three-pointer that sent the game to double overtime, which the Knicks dominated to win, 113-104. McHale, who had caused a kerfluffle when he refused to fly with the team to New York on Christmas Eve, led the Celtics with 29 points and 14 rebounds, but his potential game winner in regulation was blocked by Ewing. It turned out to be easily the highlight of New York's season, as the team slumped to a 23-59 record, the worst in the NBA that year. For the Celtics, it seemed to be motivational fodder. They won 17 of their next 18, and eventually made NBA history by stomping through the playoffs en route to the championship and immortality.
4) 1986: Knicks 86, Bulls 85 (Patrick Ewing steals show from Michael Jordan with game-winner)
Like Kris Kringle or Buddy the Elf, Ewing always seemed to be delivering a little magic to New York on Christmas during his early years. After the miraculous comeback against the Celtics in 1985, a struggling Knicks team again stole (Grinched, if you will) a game on Christmas from a far superior team one year later. This time it wasn't an established powerhouse but a budding one in Chicago. Jordan was hitting his prime with the Bulls in '86-'87, though the supporting cast was still a far cry from its later stellar incarnations. There was no Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright (who was still on the Knicks) or Horace Grant yet, but Jordan was making due with the likes of Charles Oakley, Dave Corzine, and John Paxson. Neither team shot lights out early at Madison Square Garden that day, but the Bulls were especially anemic, and fell behind 45-37 at halftime. They trudged back in the third quarter and then led for much of the fourth, as Jordan finished the game with 30 points and six steals. The Knicks battled back themselves to take an 84-82 lead with less than 20 seconds remaining. The Bulls went to Jordan, whose missed jumper was rebounded by Corzine, who hit a putback and was fouled, leading to an old-fashioned three-point play. Now trailing 85-84 with just six seconds remaining, the Knicks initially got the ball to their shooting specialist, Trent Tucker. When Tucker's long jumper bounced off the rim it was Ewing in perfect position to grab the rebound and put up a buzzer beating jumper to secure the New York victory. Just like their Christmas win a year ago, the Knicks were unable to seize on any momentum and finished the season 24-58 and out of the playoff chase.
5) 1994: Bulls 107, Knicks 104 (Scottie Pippen blocks New York, answers critics)
Eight years after their classic battle on Christmas of 1986, the Knicks and Bulls were completely different teams in '93-'94. The only constant from their original match-up was Patrick Ewing still manning the middle for New York. The Bulls had already come and gone as a dynasty, winning back-to-back-to-back titles before Michael Jordan retired in 1993 to play baseball. They were now spearheaded by Pippen and Toni Kukoc, and still considered a dark horse in the Eastern Conference. Most of the '93-'94 season had been a referendum on Pippen's stardom, peaking with his MVP performance in the All-Star Game, then plunging with his bench-riding protest in a playoff series against New York. The Knicks had won that series and advanced all the way to the NBA Finals, losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Rockets in seven games. Each team got off to a slow start in '94-'95, and both were hovering around .500 heading into their Christmas Day match-up. The game was at the still brand new United Center in Chicago (even as the team steadily improved behind Ewing, the Knicks' tradition of hosting a yearly Christmas game ended in 1988) and despite the absence of Jordan (who was still three months away from returning from baseball purgatory) it was a national event, broadcast on NBC. Ever since the great Knicks games in the '80s made Christmas Day an NBA event, the TV coverage began to flock, and the league had begun the tradition of purposefully scheduling marquee match-ups on that day. Still smarting from their loss to New York in the previous playoffs and the fallout from his protest in miniature, Pippen came into the game determined to make his vengeful mark. He finished with 36 points, 16 rebounds and five steals, plus his usual shutdown defense on New York's Charles Smith and Anthony Mason. Ewing was dominant in his own right, with 30 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, leading a fourth quarter comeback to send the game to overtime, where Pippen scored all seven of Chicago's points and blocked a final desperation shot from Hubert Davis to hold on for a 107-104 victory. It's a rare moment of spotlight triumph for Pippen, a man mostly remembered for his work in the long shadows of Jordan.
6) 2000: Trail Blazers 109, Lakers 104 (revenge served cold)
Just like with his Bulls team in 1994, Scottie Pippen and the '00-'01 Blazers had nothing but redemption and revenge on their mind heading into Christmas. Though he was only one of a compendium of great players on that Portland team, Pippen was still out to prove he could win a title without Michael Jordan. The '99-'00 season appeared to be his chance, until game seven of the Conference Finals when the Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, erased a 15-point fourth quarter deficit and stunned the Blazers to advance to the NBA Finals. Returning essentially the same roster in '00-'01, Portland trailed only their rivals in Los Angeles in the conference standings heading into Christmas Day. The Blazers turned the tide to some extent, making a comeback of their own, though not nearly as dramatic. After the Lakers led by as many as 10 early, Portland took their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, 82-81. It was back-and-forth from there for a while, until Portland pulled away late for a 109-104 win. Pippen had a clutch three-pointer late and finished the game with 12 points and nine rebounds. Rasheed Wallace led the way with 33 points, while Damon Stoudamire had a near triple-double with 27 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. The victory ended up being part of a 10-game winning streak for Portland, that convinced many that they were the front runners that season. But the Blazers were soon ravaged by injuries and slumped down the stretch, slipping to the #7 seed despite winning 50 games, and getting swept by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
7) 2004: Heat 104, Lakers 102 (Shaq and Kobe reunited)
The animosity between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal was palpable throughout the tumultuous and tabloid-heavy '03-'04 season, and it led to a split that was almost as documented as the Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston divorce. After the Lakers were stunned in the 2004 NBA Finals by Detroit, O'Neal was traded to Miami to join forces with Dwyane Wade, the player many were calling the next Kobe. Bryant got a huge extension to stay in Los Angeles and the media immediately stepped up the narrative pinning the former teammates against each other. Despite both stars underplaying their animus, a fever pitch built towards the first regular season meeting between the Lakers and Heat in '04-'05, all the better that it fell on Christmas, a marquee day for the league. When asked about what would happen when Kobe drives the lane against him, the ever quotable Shaq replied "you know what happens when a Corvette goes up against a brick wall." Miami entered the game on a serious hot streak, having won 10 straight to improve to 21-7, while the Lakers were finding life difficult without their franchise center, and entered the game 14-11, with Bryant seeming to shoulder almost the entire offense. After a cordial but hardly gracious fist bump with Shaq before tip-off, Kobe had a stat line typical of his output during that season, scoring 42 points on 12-of-30 shooting (and 13-of-13 from the free throw line) with six assists but nine turnovers. The Lakers had a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter but led by O'Neal and Wade, the Heat chipped away and sent the game to overtime. Though he finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Shaq struggled with foul trouble throughout the game and wound up fouling out late in regulation. The Heat pressed on without him, and backup center Christian Laettner came up big down the stretch and in the extra period. A three-pointer by Bryant at the buzzer was just off the mark, and the Heat won 104-102. Even though the Lakers lost, the game ending seemed like a relief for the much-maligned Kobe, who appeared more than ready to move on from the feud with Shaq.
8) 2008: Lakers 92, Celtics 83 (Phil Jackson Gets His 1,000th Win)
The son of two ministers, who would eventually say he actually hates playing games on Christmas, Jackson nonetheless became synonymous with the event when he was coaching. On Christmas Day in 2008 the legendary coach had an opportunity to accomplish two impressive milestones. First he was looking to tie Dr. Jack Ramsay's record of 11 Christmas Day wins. Second, he was one win away from becoming just the seventh coach (at the time) to reach the 1,000 win milestone. The match-up was all the more hyped for coming against the Celtics. The old rivalry had been renewed in the 2008 NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning in six games against their long-time foes. After years of only one team or the other being a legitimate contender, the rivalry was once again replete with star power on both sides, with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all taking the floor together (not to mention budding star talents Rajon Rondo and Andrew Bynum). Boston entered the day on a 19-game winning streak, but it was the Lakers, and that classic motivator of revenge that prevailed in this one, 92-83. The two teams remained the league's best throughout the '08-'09 season, but an injury to Garnett was Boston's playoffs downfall, as they fell in the second round and the Lakers won the championship. It was the final Christmas Day win of Jackson's career, though he won 155 more regular season games before retiring in 2011.
9) 2010: Heat 96, Lakers 80 (Miami's Big Three send their regards)
There was a copious amount of pressure on the Heat during the '10-'11 season after LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade on the roster, and all but guaranteed their fans that multiple championships were coming. When the team started the season 9-8, plenty of eyebrows were arched, but Miami soon embarked on a serious hot streak, winning 13 games out of 14 leading into Christmas. Though the Lakers were showing cracks in their aging facade, they were still the league champions until proven otherwise, and the game was hyped as a mandate on who was truly the NBA's premier team. Miami answered that pretty much from the start, jumping out to a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and cruising to a 96-80 victory. James was his usual resplendent self, netting a triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Bosh outplayed Pau Gasol end-to-end, and finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Kobe Bryant was held to just 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting, and the storyline the next day was how docile and ancient the Lakers looked. They still finished with the #2 seed in the West that season, but were unceremoniously dumped by the Mavericks in the second round. That same Dallas team then stunned the Heat in the NBA Finals.
10) 2011: Heat 105, Mavericks 94 (a championship banner for Christmas)
Christmas Day on 2011 was a special one for the NBA and a true gift for fans, especially those in Dallas. After a prolonged lockout cost the league two months of the '11-'12 season, the year finally kicked off on Christmas with a full slate of games. The marquee event that day was in Dallas, where Mavericks finally received their championship banner and rings for the 2011 NBA Finals, but then trotted out a degenerated lineup to begin their title defense. Dirk Nowitzki was still the centerpiece, but gone was defensive lynchpin Tyson Chandler, as well as key components J.J. Barea, Caron Butler, and DeShawn Stevenson. Their first game of the season came against the Heat, the team they had vanquished in David-vs-Goliath fashion in the NBA Finals. It was probably small solace for a Heat team so easily crushed under the weight of impossible expectations that they cruised to a 105-94 victory that day, led by 37 points from LeBron James. But it was a victorious start to a season that also ended auspiciously, with the Heat defeating Oklahoma City for the NBA championship.
11) 2016: Cavaliers 109, Warriors 108 (maybe the 2016 NBA Finals upset wasn't a fluke?)
It must have been deja vu for the Warriors on Christmas of 2016, when Kyrie Irving hit a clutch jumper to defeat them. Just six months earlier, the Cavaliers' stunning game seven upset of Golden State was capped off by an Irving three-pointer over Stephen Curry. This time, Klay Thompson was the victimized defender, as Irving clinched a 109-108 victory, finishing off a Cleveland comeback from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit. It was the first meeting of the two teams since their 2016 NBA Finals matchup, and therefore the initiation for Kevin Durant into the rivalry. The former Thunder superstar had just signed with the Warriors that past summer, and he led all scorers in the game with 36 points, but couldn't get off a shot at the buzzer to answer Irving's game-winner. Irving finished the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while LeBron James paced the Cavs with 31 points and 13 rebounds. The teams squared off again one month later, with Golden State winning in a 126-91 blowout on their home floor. In fact, since this upset loss, the Warriors have won 13 of their next 14 matchups against Cleveland, including four of five in the 2017 NBA Finals and all four in the 2018 NBA Finals.