FOR LeBron James, it will not be a first: If he plays Thursday (Friday in Manila) with the Lakers, it’ll be his 20th Christmas game. That’s more than 17 current franchises have played in their existence.
“I’d much rather be at home with my family,” James said. “But it’s a game, it’s the game I love, it’s a 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. I’m going to be completely honest: I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day, but my number is called, our number is called so we have to go out and perform.”
James playing in his 20th Christmas game means the record books will need updating once again when this holiday slate is complete.
He’s already the all-time Christmas leader in games played, points (507), wins (11), field goals (180) and 3-pointers made (31, tied with James Harden).
Up next: assists, steals and free throws. James is currently second in Christmas assists with 137, eight behind Oscar Robertson. He’s also second in steals with 28, two behind Russell Westbrook, and second in free throws made with 116 — nine behind Robertson on that list.
James is sixth in Christmas rebounds with 143, one behind No. 5 Dolph Schayes, nine behind No. 4 Wilt Chamberlain and 12 behind No. 3 Shaquille O’Neal. (No. 1 Bill Russell, with 176, and No. 2 Wes Unseld, with 163, are probably safe from James this year.)
Jalen Williams’ plan for Thursday (Friday in Manila) is mapped out like this: Presents in the morning, then a game in the afternoon.
To him, that sounds like an exceptional Christmas.
Williams and the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder — who felt snubbed by the Christmas schedule-makers a year ago — are on the league’s slate of showcase games this year, taking on the San Antonio Spurs as part of the annual Dec. 25 quintupleheader.
The schedule, with all times Eastern: Cleveland at New York gets things started at noon, followed by the Spurs at the Thunder at 2:30, Dallas at Golden State at 5, Houston at the Los Angeles Lakers at 8 and Minnesota at Denver at 10:30.
For most of the Thunder, it’ll be a first: The only current Oklahoma City players who have scored in a Christmas game are Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso. And it’ll be the second Christmas game for San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, whose holiday debut last year was a 42-point, 18-rebound effort against New York.