Special Edition: A truly ballin’ Christmas

Save one lockout-canceled holiday in 1998, the NBA’s top teams have met on December 25th each year since 1947, just one year after the Basketball Association of America (which later became the NBA) was formed.

• The first ever Christmas Day game was held at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the NY Knicks beat the (now defunct) Providence Steamrollers 89–75.

• Twenty years later, the Lakers played the then–San Diego Rockets in what became the first nationally televised Christmas Day game, the first of many to be watched with full stomachs and a side of festive fun.

Needless to say, the NBA and yuletide cheer have gone hand in hand for decades, with two legendary players setting records and taking names on the Christmas Day stage:

• In 1984, the Knicks’ Bernard King set the Christmas Day points record, dropping 60 against the then–New Jersey Nets, a mark that still stands 39 years later.

• And we can’t forget about the King of Christmas himself, the aforementioned LeBron James, who’s the all-time Christmas Day scoring leader, amassing 507 points over his 19 appearances. Stuffing stockings and the stat sheet.

Thirteen hours of holiday hoops begins tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET, a loaded five-game slate that features star power, potential playoff previews, and budding rivalries. The gift that keeps on giving.

🫒 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. NY Knicks — 12 p.m. ET: This year’s NBA Cup champs, the Knicks are a Christmas Day staple, playing in an NBA–record 57 games on the occasion. They’re also bona fide title contenders…unlike the Cavaliers, who could find a lump of coal in their stockings: The NBA’s most expensive roster has looked pedestrian this season, a bah-humbug ROI indeed.

🧀 San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 2:30 p.m. ET: This budding rivalry is already perfect for the holiday cheese board, sharp and smooth with just the right amount of funky. Plus, it features two MVP candidates: Spurs unicorn Victor Wembanyama and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If Christmas joy could dunk, this game would be its highlight reel.

🍠 Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors — 5 p.m. ET: Consider this merry matchup a classic tale of old dogs vs. new tricks. It’s too early to tie a bow on 37-year-old Warriors star Steph Curry’s illustrious career (especially given his output this season), but Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg’s stock is rising faster than Rudolph’s on that foggy Christmas Eve. The proof is in the figgy pudding.

🍗 Houston Rockets vs. LA Lakers — 8 p.m. ET: NBA fans are definitely on the nice list because there’s no shortage of star power in this potential playoff preview. Along with Lakers standout Luka Dončić, King James vs. Houston’s Kevin Durant is a holiday matchup we shouldn’t take for granted.

🥧 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets — 10:30 p.m. ET: The inimitable Nikola Jokić just keeps getting better — the three-time MVP is averaging a triple-double for the Nuggets. But Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards knows how to spread holiday cheer, too, with high-flying acrobatics and late-game heroics. Tee up a post-meal affogato and dig into this dessert.

Why sit at home and stream it when you can scream it — in person. The NBA wants Canadian hoops fans like you to witness the best basketball has to offer. That’s why they created the Represent on the Road contest connected by Bell. Picture this:

💥 Slam dunks under the All-Star spotlight

🏆 Game-winners echoing through Finals arenas

🐣 Dreams turning into reality at the star-studded draft

You’ve cheered through tip-offs, trash talk, and timeouts. Now, let the NBA return the favor: Enter the Represent on the Road contest connected by Bell for a chance to take in the best basketball moments of the year. The court is calling.

The NFL couldn’t stand idly by while the NBA hogged all the holiday cheer. Historically, the NFL has held games on Christmas when the holiday fell on a traditional football-playing day (aka Sunday, Monday, or Thursday)...until last season when the festivities landed on a Wednesday.

• Enter: The official NFL Christmas Day slate. Despite the league being adamant about not playing Christmas Day games on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for player safety, last season marked the first year holiday games hit the gridiron in the midweek.

• And it seems the holiday crossover is here to stay, no matter the day. Unlike last season where all four competing teams played on Saturday the week before, no special scheduling was required this year with Christmas falling on a Thursday. That’ll be a 2029 problem.

What’s more, the demand for festive football is there: The league aired two Christmas games last year and brought in sky-high viewership numbers, drawing more than 31M clear hearts and full stomachs from across the globe. Even the Grinch wouldn’t want to miss out on this action.

🔴 Real talk: It’s been 10 minutes of mindless scrolling — and those gifts aren’t going to wrap themselves. But hey, if you’re gonna procrastinate, make it count.

• Grab a cup of cocoa and spend two minutes on our NFL Pick'em Challenge, and you might end up like Andrea — last week's winner who scored $200 of GIST swag. Now that’s a gift that keeps on giving.

🧀 Whether you’re a gridiron guru or just here for the cheese board, our challenge is for every GISTer. Make an educated guess (or a lucky one *winks*) and add your name to the leaderboard. Consider it the most productive procrastination you'll have all week.

☝️ Picks close at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow because of the NFL’s festive triple-header.

• Why not rally the extended family? There’s nothing sweeter than outsmarting Uncle Chris before dessert. Merry and bright, indeed.

With three games lined up and an influx of cold hard cash on its way for the league, let’s carol our way through the second part of the Christmas Day sports offerings.

On this festive day of football, the NFL gave to us:

4️⃣ Four celeb cameos — Kelly Clarkson, Snoop Dogg, KPop Demon Hunters, and Lainey Wilson.

3️⃣ Three games on the big screen:

🎁 Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders — 1 p.m. ET: What’s on the line in the NFL’s opening tilt? Only holiday cheer, because both teams’ playoff hopes have been quashed. Still, expect a heaping helping of points to pair with your cranberry sauce as Dallas’ high-powered offense kicks off the fun against a beleaguered District defense.

🎁 Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings — 4:30 p.m. ET: Week 16 brought heartbreak for the Lions, who’ll need a Christmas miracle — and a win against their surging (but already-eliminated) NFC North rival — to make the playoffs. Someone call the big man in red to check if Detroit’s on the nice list.

🎁 Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs — 8:15 p.m. ET: There’s a six-team race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but the Broncos will be jingling all the way to home-field advantage if they win their final two games…starting with their divisional rival, who are notably without quarterback and two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes for the rest of the season.

2️⃣ Two different channels

• The first two games will air on Netflix, with the third streaming on Amazon Prime.

1️⃣ And a full day of switching between screens. Happy holidays, indeed.