The NBA’s Christmas Day game has been a tradition since 1947 and continues to showcase some of the league’s greatest teams and superstars.
Teams and players have a chance to make a name for themselves as the eyes of the world tune in to this year’s five marquee matchups.
To help preview the games, we spoke with former NBA player and Miami Heat champion Jason Williams to see what intrigues him about the Christmas Day schedule…
Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks
17.00, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+
Christmas Day begins in the home of many festive movies, New York City, where the Knicks will welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers to Madison Square Garden. An iconic Christmas venue will feature two of the Eastern Conference’s strongest teams.
The Knicks are fresh off recently lifting the NBA Cup after an impressive win over the San Antonio Spurs. While Jalen Brunson is seen as the side’s central figure, London-born forward OG Anunoby is quietly building a case for his first All-Star selection.
Anunoby was the leading scorer in the Cup Final, and according to Williams, he is doing all the right things to earn his spot at All-Star Weekend. When asked what more Anunoby needs to do, Williams’ advice was simple: “Keep winning and adding to those wins, and that will take care of the All-Star selection when it needs to be taken care of.”
New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby is enjoying a fine season =
The Cavs, meanwhile, were the best regular-season team in the Eastern Conference last season, finishing with a 61-21 record, but have since struggled to regain that form.
Donovan Mitchell, who still exudes superstar confidence, has been upfront about his team’s sub-par performance.
The Knicks have played more Christmas Day games than any other NBA team, and this year a celebratory win over the Cavs, combined with their NBA Cup Final victory, could give them the perfect platform for a run at their first championship since 1973.
San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder
19.30, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+
Today’s second match provides our first superstar showdown. Last year’s MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes on the tall challenge of 21-year-old 7ft 5in center Victor Wembanyama as the Thunder welcome the Spurs to Oklahoma City.
When asked what has excited Williams about this season so far, he said, “I’m really excited about the parity. Except for OKC, which seems to be a level above everyone else”.
Last year’s NBA champions, the Thunder, have picked up where they left off and have just two losses at the time of writing, along with the best record in the league.
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Watch the best of Victor Wembanyama against the Dallas Mavericks as he scored 40 points in the San Antonio Spurs’ season opener
Two teams touted with next-generation superstars, Williams was unequivocal in his praise of Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama.
“Both of them are special and unique,” he said. “To be honest with you, I didn’t think Wemby was going to be as good as he is. I thought it would take him a few years and he’d come a little bit slower than he has, but man, was I wrong!”
Of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams added, “Shai is just…I mean, it’s just at a loss for words. Just as soon as you think he’s as good as he can be, he takes it one step further and elevates his team to another level.”
The stakes were raised even higher on this game after the Spurs eliminated OKC from the NBA Cup earlier this month. A meeting between arguably the two best teams and the two best individual players in the league, Spurs vs Thunder is a guaranteed Christmas cracker.
Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors
22.00, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+
Steph Curry’s style of play has captured the imagination of a generation of basketball fans across the globe. Approaching his 38th birthday in March, Curry’s evergreen talents will be pitted against the skills of a player nearly 20 years his junior, 18-year-old Cooper Flagg, who was this year’s No. 1 draft pick.
In late November, Flagg’s 42-point haul against the Utah Jazz broke the NBA record for most points by an 18-year-old. With injuries to several key teammates, steady improvement on the court throughout Flagg’s rookie season has seen him develop into an offensive focal point for the Mavericks.
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Cooper Flagg scored 42 points in the game against the Utah Jazz and became the highest scoring 18-year-old in NBA history
Another interesting aspect of this game is Curry’s reunion with former teammate Klay Thompson. The “Splash Brothers” won four championships combined over 12 years, setting numerous scoring records along the way.
Two of the best three-point shooters to play the game, their identities as players are so intertwined that it still seems odd to see them on opposing teams, nearly two years since Klay’s departure from the Warriors.
Curry has high praise from Williams, who also played point guard during his 12-year NBA career: “The way he can shoot the basketball, I think he could probably play until he was 60 if he wanted to. He could stand in the corner all day and defensively, if his man left him, it’s going to be a knock-down 3-pointer.”
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Golden State Warrriors star Steph Curry pulled off the ridiculous by making this shot from way out!
“If he chose to play that long, he could. I think he’s probably the best point guard to ever play the game, definitely the best shooter I’ve ever seen.
“I think we’re pretty lucky to see, as sports fans, let alone NBA fans, to see some of these athletes that we get to see. And Steph Wardell Curry is definitely one of them.”
Houston Rockets @ LA Lakers
01.00 on Friday 26 December, Sky Sports+
One of the glitziest games on the Christmas Day schedule sees LeBron James’ Lakers face off against a rejuvenated Rockets team led by Kevin Durant. Now 40 and 37, the game is set to be a highly competitive encounter between teams led by two of the league’s veteran superstars.
Like Steph Curry, Durant’s elite shooting has helped extend his prime well into his 30s with a style of play focused on technical ability rather than athleticism. That’s not to say KD doesn’t possess an excellent all-around game. Earlier this month, he became the third-fastest player to reach 30,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists, behind Michael Jordan and LeBron.
Williams had high praise for KD, but also singled out the Rockets’ talented Turkish center, Alperen Şengün, as one to watch.
“I’m a huge KD fan. You can take him and drop him on any roster in the NBA and I think they instantly become a playoff contender. But I don’t think Şengün gets talked about as much as he should. He quietly goes about his business and does what he has to do. He’s a great player.”
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LeBron combined with Rui Hachimura for the game-winner as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors in the superstar’s 23rd NBA season
On the other end of the court, the Lakers are hoping Luka Dončić recovers from injury in time to team up with LeBron, who is set to participate in a record 20th Christmas Day, an all-time NBA record. LeBron turns 41 before the end of December, and when asked what goals he might have left, Williams replied, “What else is there left for him to do? He’s already done everything else, so I think just winning championships is all it’s about now.”
While LeBron’s retirement once seemed like a distant possibility, it is quickly becoming an imminent reality. Williams is full of praise for James and believes he doesn’t always get the praise he deserves.
“I think we, as fans, take LeBron James’ career for granted. We just expect him to have 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists every night. I think he should have won a couple more MVPs, in my opinion, but they just didn’t give it to him because it was somebody else’s turn. Now, that doesn’t mean the next guy we give the MVP, James just doesn’t deserve it.”
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Denver Nuggets
03.30 Friday 26 December, Sky Sports+
In the final game of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule, those staying up into the early hours of Boxing Day morning will see a showdown between one of the league’s new rivalries as the Denver Nuggets play the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is a three-time MVP winner
Like the Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Wembanyama matchup earlier in the day, this game features two of the NBA’s biggest current talents in Nikola Jokić and Anthony Edwards. Williams said, “Jokić is one of the best, if not the best, player in the NBA, and Edwards is right on his heels. He’s trying to take that throne away from him.”
For the Nuggets, Jokić is a three-time MVP winner whose on-ball talents have seen him labeled the best passing center of all time. In a sport that often prioritizes physicality, Jokić stands out, his style defined by elite basketball IQ and court vision.
Earlier in December, “Joker” broke the record for most assists by a center in NBA history, eclipsing a 35-year-old record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even more impressively, he accomplished the feat in a staggering 789 fewer games, a testament to his unique talents.
Unlike Jokić, Edwards’ style is based on a tenacious approach to the game, underlined by high-flying, explosive athleticism.
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards has developed into an elite player from long range
Equally determined off the court, despite initial concerns about his range, Edwards has developed into an elite long-range shooter who led the NBA in three-pointers in the 24-25 season while becoming the youngest player in NBA history to make 1,000 threes.
Contracted with the Timberwolves until 2029, how Edwards develops will define the future of the franchise.
With both teams eliminating each other in the 2023 and 2024 postseasons, the Nuggets-Timberwolves rivalry remains one of the NBA’s most anticipated matchups.
A grand Christmas Day plan concludes with one of the evening’s highlights.