Top 5 Unforgettable NBA Christmas Day Performances: From Wilt to LeBron!

For countless households across America, basketball has become a staple of Christmas celebrations. This year marks the 77th year that the NBA has held games on Christmas Day, offering a lineup of five exciting games featuring twelve of the league’s top stars and showcasing exceptional shooting skills. It’s the perfect backdrop to a day filled with torn gift wrap and sipped eggnog glasses.

As the high-profile holiday games draw near, it’s a fitting time to reflect on memorable NBA Christmas performances of years gone by. These Christmas Day showdowns, featuring the league’s most luminous stars, often draw larger audiences than other regular-season and some playoff games. The magic of these performances, played under the glow of Christmas lights, tends to linger in memories well beyond other December games. There’s just something special about them.

In tribute to these memorable showcases, here are the top five Christmas Day performances.

Wilt Chamberlain, 1961

Any discussion of NBA legends must include Wilt Chamberlain, whose statistics are almost beyond belief. It’s no surprise that he also holds a record for Christmas Day performances.

In 1961, playing for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks, Chamberlain delivered an astonishing performance during just his second NBA season. At the time, he was averaging 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game. His dominance was on full display as he scored 59 points and grabbed 36 rebounds, setting a Christmas Day record that still stands. Despite his monumental effort, the Warriors narrowly lost to the Knicks 136-135. Chamberlain’s 1961 Christmas performance remains one of the most impressive feats in NBA history.

Chamberlain’s stats from that game continue to resonate as a testament to his singular talent and presence on the court.

Bernard King, 1984

While Chamberlain holds numerous records, it is Bernard King who claims the highest-scoring Christmas Day game. During the 1984-85 season, King exploded for a record-setting performance.

Facing off against the then-New Jersey Nets, King was unstoppable, scoring 40 points in the first half alone. He finished the game with 60 points, setting a record that still holds. Despite his individual brilliance, the Knicks lost the game and ended the season with a disappointing record, missing the playoffs. However, King’s incredible scoring feat provided a highlight in an otherwise challenging season.

Scottie Pippen, 1994 

By the time the 1994–95 season rolled around, the Chicago Bulls were Scottie Pippen’s team. Michael Jordan was over a year into his retirement and the team had gone on a deep playoff run with Pippen as the top dog. And perhaps no singular game emphasized that more than Christmas, when the Bulls faced the Knicks.

Pippen left everything on the court. And we do mean everything. He didn’t sit for a single second, playing all 48 minutes of regulation before staying on the court for the entirety of overtime. He finished with 36 points and 16 rebounds. Most importantly for Chicago, Pippen dug deep and scored all seven of the team’s points in OT to push his team past New York by three. 

The performance serves as a fascinating microcosm of what those Bulls teams sans Jordan were like, with Pippen pushing his body to the absolute limit in an attempt to prove everyone wrong through sheer force of will. His stat line will also stand alone, probably forever. Could you imagine a star playing a full 48 plus overtime in December nowadays? Even on Christmas? No shot. Pippen’s performance will be remembered, even if that decade belonged to Jordan. 

LeBron James, 2010

LeBron James has been a mainstay on Christmas for the NBA to a degree no other player has reached. The King ranks first among all players with 18 games played and will make it 19 when he takes on the Golden State Warriors this year. Of his many excellent Christmas Day performances, there was none better than his first with the Miami Heat. 

Months into the Heatles’ first season, James was tasked with facing Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in a clash of juggernauts on Christmas. He delivered, and made it look all too easy. 

James finished with a triple double in Miami’s 16-point victory. He scored 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting (hitting five of his six three-point attempts), pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out 10 assists while recording only one turnover. It was effortless dominance, the type we’ve become accustomed to in 2024 after decades of watching James. But back then it was a promise, a preview of the basketball nirvana James eventually reached—becoming a player who had zero holes in his game and was able to win no matter what was thrown at him. 

It might not have been the most spectacular Christmas Day game audiences had seen. But from top to bottom on the stat sheet and the court, it was pretty darn close to perfection. 

Nikola Jokic, 2022

Once we get to a certain point in NBA history, it’s tough to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to big stat lines. Over the years, thanks to a significantly increased pace of play and an overall increase in talent level, accomplishments like triple doubles have become somewhat regular occurrences. It doesn’t make them any less difficult, but part of what made them special was the rarity. Through that lens, it is understandable if some fans feel such stat lines are a bit devalued in today’s game. 

No matter where you fall in that debate, there is no denying the majesty that was Nikola Jokic’s 2022 Christmas Day showing. Leading the Denver Nuggets against the Phoenix Suns in the late slot, the Serbian superstar scored 41 points on 64% shooting from the floor to pair with 15 rebounds and 15 assists. Per Statmuse, it was only the third 40-15-15 game in NBA history. And the Nuggets needed every bit of it, too; Jokic played 44 minutes and just barely got Denver past Phoenix in a three-point victory. 

It was one of the best games Jokic ever played, which is an incredibly impressive accolade. The three-time MVP is not only one of the all-time greats at the center position, he’s also one of the most statistically prolific players the sport has ever seen. His 2022 Christmas may very well be the greatest all-around Christmas performance ever, and it should be appreciated as such. 

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