The NBA has officially revealed its 2026 Christmas Day schedule, and once again, the league is stacking the holiday with some of its biggest stars and best matchups.
Five games will be played across ABC and ESPN on Christmas, highlighted by LeBron James facing his former Los Angeles Lakers for the first time on the holiday since joining the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Christmas Day slate:
- San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks
- Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors
The obvious headliner is Philadelphia against Los Angeles. LeBron will make what is expected to be his 21st Christmas Day appearance, but this time he’ll be on the opposite side of the Lakers after signing with Philadelphia this offseason. A matchup featuring LeBron, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown gives the NBA exactly the type of star power it wants on Christmas.
But the rest of the slate isn’t lacking either. Victor Wembanyama gets another Christmas showcase at Madison Square Garden, while Oklahoma City and Minnesota meet in a matchup loaded with Western Conference talent. Denver-Golden State gives fans Nikola Jokic against Stephen Curry to close out the day.
Christmas basketball has become one of the NBA’s biggest regular-season traditions, and the league clearly isn’t messing around in 2026. From Wemby at MSG to LeBron facing the Lakers, there will be storylines from the first game until the final buzzer.
