When it comes to Christmas Day basketball, no one owns the stage quite like LeBron James. For two decades now, he's been the NBA’s go-to headliner on December 25 - a tradition that started when he was still a teenager and continues into his 40s.
His 19 Christmas Day appearances are the most in league history, and with 11 wins, he’s also the NBA’s all-time leader in victories on the holiday. Add in his 507 total points - the most ever scored on Christmas - and it’s clear: LeBron doesn’t just play on Christmas.
He defines it.
And now, as he suits up for his 20th Christmas Day game - this time leading the Lakers against the Houston Rockets - LeBron is still very much the face of the NBA’s most spotlighted regular-season showcase. While he recently admitted he’d rather be at home with his family, he also acknowledged the weight of the moment.
“I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day,” James said. “But our number is called, so we have to go out and perform … But I mean, it’s the game, it’s the game I love.
It’s the game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas. It’s always been an honor to play it.”
Let’s take a closer look at some of LeBron’s most memorable Christmas Day performances - moments that helped shape not just his legacy, but the holiday’s place on the NBA calendar.
2003: A Rookie’s Arrival in Orlando
LeBron’s first Christmas Day game came in his rookie season, and he wasted no time making an impression. At just 18 years old, he dropped 34 points against the Orlando Magic - the most ever scored on Christmas by a player under 21. It was a coming-out party on national television, even though Tracy McGrady’s 41 points and the Magic’s 113-101 win ultimately stole the result.
Still, the message was clear: a new superstar had arrived, and he was more than ready for the spotlight.
2009: LeBron vs. Kobe in the Staples Center
By 2009, LeBron had already established himself as a perennial MVP candidate, and this Christmas Day clash against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers was circled on every fan’s calendar. The Cavs came out firing, jumping to a big early lead and never looking back, winning 102-87 in Los Angeles.
LeBron finished with 26 points and nine assists, while Kobe countered with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in a duel worthy of the billing. It was one of those rare regular-season games that felt like a playoff showdown - two titans trading blows on the league’s biggest stage.
2010: The Heatles Take Over L.A.
A year later, LeBron returned to L.A., but this time in a Miami Heat uniform. It was his first Christmas Day game since forming the “Big Three” with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the spotlight couldn’t have been brighter.
James delivered a statement performance - the first Christmas Day triple-double of his career - as Miami dismantled the defending champion Lakers, 96-80. His command of the game was total, from setting the pace to neutralizing key L.A. threats like Pau Gasol. The win wasn’t just about the scoreboard; it was about announcing the Heat’s arrival as a force to be reckoned with.
2015: Finals Rematch in the Bay
Six months after falling to the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals, LeBron and the Cavs got a shot at revenge - at least in the regular season - with a Christmas Day rematch in Oakland. Golden State entered the game 28-1, steamrolling the league with historic efficiency.
Cleveland managed to drag the high-octane Warriors into a grind-it-out affair, but Golden State still pulled out an 89-83 win. James posted 25 points and nine rebounds, but Draymond Green’s 22-15-7 stat line proved decisive. The loss stung, but it set the stage for the real payoff: Cleveland’s unforgettable 3-1 comeback in the 2016 Finals.
2020: Passing the Torch - But Not Yet
The NBA framed the 2020 Christmas matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks as a symbolic showdown between generations - LeBron vs. Luka Dončić. But once the ball went up, it was clear the king wasn’t ready to hand over the crown.
LeBron orchestrated the game with surgical precision, finishing with 22 points and 10 assists in a 138-115 win. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 28, while Dončić impressed with 27 points and seven assists in his Christmas debut. But the biggest milestone belonged to James, who passed Oscar Robertson for second place on the all-time Christmas scoring list that night - a mark he would later top entirely.
2024: A Game-Winner and Another Record
Last year’s Christmas game against the Warriors was vintage LeBron. In his 19th appearance on the holiday - already an NBA record - he poured in 31 points and added 10 assists in a tightly contested 115-113 win. The game came down to the wire, with Austin Reaves driving in for the game-winning layup with just one second left.
It was LeBron’s 11th Christmas Day win, putting him alone atop the NBA’s all-time holiday victories list. And while he may have preferred to be home with his family, his performance once again proved why the league keeps calling his number on December 25.
The Legacy of LeBron on Christmas
Two decades of dominance. Record-setting scoring.
Wins against legends and rising stars alike. LeBron James has turned Christmas Day into his personal showcase - a stage where he’s consistently delivered, year after year, game after game.
And while he’s earned the right to want a quiet holiday at home, there’s something fitting - almost poetic - about seeing No. 23 (or No. 6, depending on the year) lacing them up under the bright lights on Christmas night. Because for basketball fans, the holiday just wouldn’t feel complete without him.