The Warriors are back on the NBA’s Christmas Day stage again, and this one comes with plenty of history behind it.
The 2026 Christmas Day schedule gives Golden State a spot for the 14th straight season, and the franchise’s holiday run stretches all the way back to 1948, when the team was known as the Philadelphia Warriors.
That long Christmas Day ledger has produced a mix of tight finishes, star turns and a few rough nights. In the Curry era, the Warriors are surprisingly 3-0 when he doesn’t play, while Stephen Curry is 5-7 on Christmas and has averaged 18.1 points per game.
There have been memorable performances attached to those games, too. Curry has had a game-high 38 points in one Christmas matchup, while LeBron James posted a team-high 31 points and 10 assists in another. He also had a game-high 33 points in a different contest, but Otto Porter Jr. took over late by scoring the final seven points and finishing with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Golden State has also seen Christmas Day games swing on the smallest of margins. One came down to Austin Reaves, who finished with a drive-and-finish with one second left after Curry had drilled his eighth three in the last 25 seconds to tie the game at 113.
Another featured Kyrie Irving hitting a ridiculously tough shot with three seconds remaining to deliver the winner. And in a matchup with the Clippers, Thompson’s block of Chris Paul’s floater with a second to go ended the threat after the Clippers had five chances to tie or take the lead in the final 62 seconds.
The list also includes games where the Warriors were undone by big nights from the other side. Jamal Murray scored 28 and Nikola Jokic added 26 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a Nuggets win between the last two NBA champions.
The Suns and Warriors once came in with the league’s two best records at 26-5 and 26-6, respectively. The Grizzlies got 36 points from Ja Morant when Jordan Poole scored 32 for Golden State in a game the defending champion Warriors played without Curry.
The Rockets also took an L against Golden State in a season when the Warriors were 7-24 and dealing with injuries to Curry and Klay Thompson.
There were blowouts and close calls mixed throughout the franchise’s Christmas history. The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 99-92 in 2017, then lost 109-108 to Cleveland the next year.
They beat the Rockets 116-104 in 2019. They lost to the Bucks 138-99 in 2020.
They beat the Suns 116-107 in 2021 and the Grizzlies 123-109 in 2022. More recently, they fell to the Nuggets 120-114 in 2023, lost to the Lakers 115-113 in 2024, and beat the Mavericks 126-116 in 2025.
Golden State’s Christmas Day record runs deep beyond the Curry years. Here’s the full rundown:
2025: Warriors 126, Mavericks 116
2024: Lakers 115, Warriors 113
2023: Nuggets 120, Warriors 114
2022: Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109
2021: Warriors 116, Suns 107
2020: Bucks 138, Warriors 99
2019: Warriors 116, Rockets 104
2018: Lakers 127, Warriors 101
2017: Warriors 99, Cavaliers 92
2016: Cavaliers 109, Warriors 108
2015: Warriors 89, Cavaliers 83
2014: Clippers 100, Warriors 86
2013: Warriors 105, Clippers 103
2011: Clippers 105, Warriors 86
2010: Warriors 109, Blazers 102
1984: Blazers 106, Warriors 97
1980: Blazers 115, Warriors 114
1979: Blazers 113, Warriors 91
1978: Blazers 115, Warriors 102
1977: Blazers 109, Warriors 97
1971: Knicks 114, Warriors 89
1969: SF Warriors 124, Royals 120 (OT)
1966: SF Warriors 124, Royals 112
1965: Royals 119, SF Warriors 113
1962: SF Warriors 94, Hawks 91
1961: Knicks 136, PHI Warriors 135 (2OT)
1959: PHI Warriors 129, Nationals 121
1957: PHI Warriors 115, Celtics 105
1956: PHI Warriors 89, Celtics 82
1954: Lakers 99, PHI Warriors 91
1953: Royals 73, PHI Warriors 65
1952: Royals 93, PHI Warriors 78
1950: Knicks 86, PHI Warriors 84 (OT)
1949: PHI Warriors 64, Bullets 63
1948: PHI Warriors 80, Celtics 77
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