“On the first day of Christmas, the NBA gave to me: five marquee matchups, four Finals contenders, three MVP favorites, two decades of LeBron, and a rookie sensation in a pear tree.” That’s pretty much what the NBA packs into one quintuple-header on Christmas Day. Sure, the NFL is trying to amplify it, but Christmas has been synonymous with sleigh bells ringing and the squeak of sneakers on hardwood for the sports fan.

December 25 has always been the league’s premier stage. Only the biggest storylines cut. Just how did basketball become a tradition for sports lovers?

Why Does the NBA Play on Christmas Day?

Yeah, the Internet loves to imagine Saint Nicholas played a game of pickup, and that’s how Christmas became a basketball thing. The reality is a lot more generic.

Everyone’s home for the holidays. The family and loved ones are together. It’s a perfect time to either indulge in some in-house rivalries or enjoy your favorite team together. With available audiences in front of screens for as long as live broadcast technology has existed, the NBA decided immediately to capitalize on the holiday spirit.

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Like it is tradition to escape turkey-basting duties to watch NFL games, it’s standard to open presents to an NBA game in the background. This modern-day tradition is as old as the NBA itself.

When Did the NBA Start Playing Games on Christmas Day?

As soon as the NBA was born, the league decided stockings weren’t the only thing we were getting on Christmas. The first NBA Christmas game was played in 1947, the second year of the National Basketball League. In that inaugural holiday matchup, the New York Knicks defeated the Providence Steamrollers 89–75 at Madison Square Garden.

The Steamrollers faded away with time, but the Knicks became a part of the tradition. Never would there be a Christmas Day without the Knicks playing.

In the earlier days, the schedule was modest. The evolution of media brought narratives that heat up the holidays like a little secret spice in eggnog. It’s a big ol’ thanks to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird for that.

They not only brought the NBA out of its tape-delay era, but also made the business minds of the NBA realize the benefits of claiming the entire December 25. That advanced the Christmas Day schedule to a marquee slate of five games among cherry-picked teams that attract the most eyeballs.

It became essential to deck the halls with boughs of jersey! After all, Christmas isn’t complete without a little sparkle. That’s how Christmas-themed city edition jerseys became a thing.

In the past decade, the Lakers and Warriors have been regular fixtures with the Knicks. But any team LeBron James has played with has been a Christmas spectacle. Tomorrow marks LeBron’s 20th Christmas game since his 2003 debut.

Why Is Christmas Day So Important for the NBA?

The NBA’s Christmas Day tradition, which started in 1947, reached new heights with the help of the iconic names: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. The convenience of having everyone at home (mostly) not working on the holidays, and an opportunity to veg out in front of the screen with a hearty meal translates to the biggest available audience on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.

Both these holidays translate to massive viewership for the NFL and the NBA, respectively. Viewership averaged 5.25 million viewers for its five Christmas Day games in 2024, when the NBA’s ratings were on the decline. And that was while the NBA was competing with the NFL for the first time. This year, fans are showing a lot more inclination to stick to their basketball tradition over football.

This high viewership also gives major boosts to individual players. Keep an eye out for the debut of some player-exclusive sneakers on December 25.

Extravagant holiday commercials starring our favorite NBA players, Dunk the Halls, between games. This year, the commercial scale is much higher.

With Prime Video in the mix with ESPN and NBA Sports, the NBA’s holiday viewing is about to get grander. Despite the NFL’s massive slate on Netflix and Prime, the NBA’s commercial spots are sold out, and advertiser revenue is up 18% year-over-year.

How Does the NBA Decide Which Teams Play on Christmas Day?

Storylines become an important factor in the NBA’s holiday blockbuster. Just look at what they have planned tomorrow.

It will be one of the few occasions this season Inside the NBA will air. Klay Thompson will reunite with his former teammates as the Mavs play against the Warriors. And coincidentally, OKC’s matchup against the Spurs was decided before Victor Wembanyama ended their winning streak.

Star power enables those storylines. That’s why LeBron James has done this 20 times and broken former teammate Dwyane Wade’s record. Luka Doncic will make an MVP case by taking on Kevin Durant. 

We’re also getting fresh fodder as soon as All-Star voting heats up. This year, RoTY apparent, Cooper Flagg could be the next big thing on Christmas.