Day of champions: why the 2023 Christmas Games are historic in the NBA

There is always a first time

The 2023 edition arrives with three unprecedented Christmas duels. The Golden State Warriors led by the leading three-point scorer in history, Steph Curry, will face the defending champion Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, 76ers center Joel Embiid, who averages 31.3 PTS on Christmas, the highest mark among active players in the league, will face the Miami Heat; team that has the highest winning percentage (.846) and whose coach, Erik Spoelstra, is responsible for said record. Will the undefeated be broken?

Closing this small list are the Dallas Mavericks led by the Doncic-Irving duo who will visit the home of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. It should be noted that the first time that former teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant met as rivals, they delivered an unprecedented match. Doncic scored 34 PTS, Irving 30 and, for his part, Durant had 37 and Booker 36. Will a classic be born?

A historic rivalry

After 15 years, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will reunite on Christmas Day. Back in 2008 we witnessed a rematch of the 2007 Finals, with the Lakers ending the then-defending champion Celtics’ 19-game winning streak and Phil Jackson recording his 1,000th victory as a coach.

The most iconic rivalry in NBA history adds another chapter to its novel when ‘The King’ LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers host Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics. Both teams began the 2023-2024 season with their eyes set on being the first team to reach 18 NBA championships.

Meteor shower

This year, all five games will feature at least one Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant. Additionally, the last four recipients of the Larry O’Brien Trophy will be in action: Lakers (2020), Bucks (2021), Warriors (2022) and Nuggets (2023). As if that were not enough, LeBron James will reach 18 Christmas games and is the all-time leader in points (with 460), along with his great friend and multiple champion Dwyane Wade. Get your best clothes ready, the basketball banquet is served. The appointment is this December 25th from noon.