NBA Christmas 2024: what to know about this year’s quintuple-header | NBA

LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later.

That’s proper: James has been featured on the NBA’s massive day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday – when the league celebrates Christmas with video games for the 77th time – the league’s oldest participant and brightest younger star might be massive components of the vacation showcase.

It’s one other Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Convention finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to resume a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking up Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver taking part in at Phoenix within the nightcap.

“Very excited, after all,” Wembanyama mentioned, the French star previewing his first Christmas recreation alternative. “To start with, spending Christmas in New York, it’s going to be like the films, I hope. Get a bit snow.”

His first Christmas want got here true: Gentle snow fell in Manhattan on Tuesday morning.

James mentioned he’s relishing one other likelihood to share the vacation highlight with Curry – somebody he’s performed in opposition to on Christmas three earlier instances.

“Any time you get a chance to be on the court docket and compete in opposition to one of many biggest to ever play this recreation, you don’t take it without any consideration,” James – who turns 40 subsequent week – mentioned of dealing with his US Olympic teammate. “I don’t know what number of extra alternatives we’ll get to go in opposition to one another.”

The Christmas video games have been checked out for many years because the time when extra followers have a tendency to begin watching basketball. The NFL – which goes head-to-head in opposition to the NBA on Wednesday – is seeing its common season winding down, and the 5 NBA video games will all be proven nationally both on ABC or ESPN.

The Spurs-Knicks recreation may also have a particular alt-cast starring Mickey Mouse and a few of his pals, the primary animated presentation of an NBA recreation. It’ll be proven on ESPN2 and stream on Disney+ and ESPN+.

“I want there have been extra of our nice gamers who had an opportunity to play on that stage on Christmas Day,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned. “It’s been an attention-grabbing turnaround from actually my earlier days within the league once we obtained quite a lot of complaints about taking part in on Christmas – and now it comes the opposite approach, which is, ‘Why aren’t we taking part in on Christmas?’ I want we may accommodate much more groups.”

Knicks ahead Josh Hart, like nearly everybody within the basketball world, raves about Wembanyama. The Spurs star is averaging 24.8 factors, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, 3.9 assists and three.3 three-pointers per recreation.

“He’s an incredible participant, man,” Hart mentioned. “He does issues offensively, defensively that nobody that’s 7-whatever-the-heck-he-is ought to be doing. He’s the way forward for the league.”

For the report, Wembanyama is formally slightly below 7ft 4in.

The Knicks are taking part in their 57th Christmas recreation, extending their NBA report. The primary Christmas recreation in league historical past was at Madison Sq. Backyard in 1947.

“Been lucky to play on Christmas quite a lot of days,” Spurs guard Chris Paul mentioned. “I’m excited.”

Recreation time is 1.30pm in Dallas, and meaning it’ll be 8.30pm in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prime time, Christmas evening in Luka Dončić’s homeland.

The Mavericks star couldn’t be happier how that labored out.

“It’s particular,” mentioned Dončić, who had a 50-point recreation on Christmas final yr. “You’ve got lots of people from Europe wish to watch the NBA. … It’s an enormous factor. It’s going to be a particular recreation.”

Dallas beat Minnesota 4-1 in final yr’s West finals.

For Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, that is season No 18 – and his second Christmas recreation.

“It was 14 years earlier than I obtained to play on it in Utah,” Conley mentioned. “I regarded ahead to the chance. Not many individuals get the chance to play. When persons are celebrating the vacations, they activate the TV and are watching the NBA.”

No groups have confronted off in opposition to each other extra in NBA historical past than defending champion Boston and Philadelphia. Similar goes for Christmas rivalries: It’ll be Celtics-76ers for the 14th time on 25 December, by far probably the most within the league.

Celtics guard Jrue Vacation says it’s powerful to interrupt household time on Christmas – but additionally mentioned it’s enjoyable that his kids can watch their father play that day.

“It’s an honor to have the ability to play on Christmas Day,” Vacation mentioned. “I do know I used to be one of many children that couldn’t anticipate Christmas video games to return on. So, it’s at all times an honor.”

Curry and James have met on Christmas in 2015, 2016 and 2018, all instantly following seasons that ended with Cleveland vs. Golden State matchups within the NBA finals.

Lakers coach JJ Redick performed on Christmas 11 instances in his profession. The importance of seeing one other Steph v LeBron matchup on the vacation isn’t misplaced on him.

“I believe it was nice to have two of the icons of this technology go head-to-head and have one, for certain, traditional collection after which simply additionally some traditional video games and traditional moments,” Redick mentioned. “For these guys additionally being teammates on the Olympic stage, they simply have the final word respect for one another.”

James will get one other likelihood to turn out to be the NBA’s all-time Christmas win chief: He’s performed in 10 wins on 25 December, tying former teammate Dwyane Wade’s vacation report. That is James’ nineteenth Christmas recreation; Wade performed in 13.

Curry, if he begins, would be the seventh individual in NBA historical past with no less than 11 begins on 25 December, becoming a member of James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Wade, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

“Christmas spirit hopefully can deliver some items our approach with a win,” Curry mentioned.

Durant will play on Christmas for the twelfth time, and solely James, Bryant and Oscar Robertson have extra factors on 25 December than he does.

It’s a rematch of a 117-90 win by Denver on Monday evening.

“Trying ahead to this subsequent recreation,” Durant mentioned.

The Nuggets know the Suns will wish to avenge shedding by 27, plus that the vacation brings out one of the best in gamers.

“Hopefully we are able to go into their spot on Christmas and get one other win,” Nuggets ahead Michael Porter Jr mentioned. “However I’m certain it’ll be a harder recreation.”