The best individual NBA performances on Christmas

New York Knicks legend Bernard King had the greatest Christmas Day performance of all time. He was a walking bucket against the nearby New Jersey Nets, finishing the game with 60 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. The Knicks still lost 120-114. King holds the record for most points scored in a Christmas Day game. 

Shaq and Kobe formed one of the greatest duos in NBA history during their time together with the Lakers, winning three championships in a row. When their feud boiled over, Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat. This was their first game against each other. In a hyped-up contest, for obvious reasons, Shaq posted 24 points and grabbed 11 boards. Kobe went off for 42 points, six assists and three rebounds. Shaq and the Heat came out on top in overtime, 104-102. 

Rick Barry: the man who made the underhand free-throw shot famous. In just his second year, Barry set the tone and scored 50 points on the Oscar Robertson-led Cincinnati Royals in a resounding 124-112 victory. Later in his career, Barry was named Finals MVP after winning the 1975 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors.

The only NBA player to score 100 points in a game, Wilt Chamberlain needs no introduction. His insane stat lines carried over into Christmas Day. Chamberlain dropped 59 points and grabbed 36 rebounds. Unfortunately, Chamberlain is the rare loser on this list. Chamberlain’s Warriors lost to the Knicks by one point in double-overtime. 

It may have been cold outside, but Cincinnati Royals star point guard Oscar Robertson heated up for 40 points, 17 assists, and 12 rebounds against the Lakers. Despite Robertson’s herculean effort, the Lakers won the game. Robertson was a walking triple-double back in the day. He and Russell Westbrook are the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season. 

What NBA list isn’t Michael Jordan on? The GOAT dropped 42 points on the New York Knicks. Like always, Jordan’s Bulls beat the Knicks. The Bulls went on to defeat Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals that year, completing the first three-peat. 

This Christmas Day game became an instant classic. It featured the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers versus the Miami Heat Big Three in their first year together. LeBron James messed around and got a triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Miami Heat bested the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers 96-80. It’s a shame we never got to see Kobe and LeBron in the finals. Seeing them go one-on-one was always must-watch television.

Celtics legend Bill Russell posted 16 points, and 34 rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Baltimore Bullets 113-99. The Celtics were in the middle of their dynasty that won 11 championships in the 1950s and ’60s with Russell as the superstar. Russell is the greatest winner in NBA history.

If only Tracy McGrady could’ve stayed healthy. He dueled a rookie by the name of LeBron James in a hardwood classic that went down to the wire. McGrady dropped 41 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds in a 113-101 overtime victory against a young Cleveland Cavaliers team. During the 2000s, McGrady was one of the most versatile scorers in the game. 

Before he left for Golden State and won back-to-back championships, Kevin Durant was a star with the OKC Thunder. One of the best scorers ever, Durant was very on-brand and dropped 44 points on the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder walked away with a 114-106 victory.

They don’t call him The Human Highlight Film for nothing. In his typical fashion, Wilkins scored 45 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists as the Atlanta Hawks bested the 76ers by a score of 106-100. A criminally underrated player from the 1980s, Wilkins is one of the greatest dunkers of all time. 

The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers reignited their rivalry for this thrilling Christmas Day bout. Kyrie Irving came up clutch and scored 40 points, and grabbed 10 boards. The Celtics walked away with a 121-114 overtime victory over the 76ers. This was one of the finest moments from his short-lived Celtics tenure. 

The logo himself, Jerry West, wasn’t afraid of the big stage. He scored 47 points in a 134-126 shootout against the New York Knicks. West got his ring when the Lakers won it all in 1972. 

With Michael Jordan retired and playing baseball, Scottie Pippen took over as the leader of the Chicago Bulls. He had an all-around great game against the New York Knicks, posting 36 points, 16 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks. The Bulls gave the people of Chicago a Christmas present and beat the Knicks 107-104 in overtime.

Kansas City Kings legend Nate “Tiny” Archibald was an offensive force his entire career. He was the last player to lead the NBA in scoring and assists for a season in 1973 with 34 points and 11.4 assists per game. On Christmas Day that year, Archibald dropped 20 points and 18 assists on the Milwaukee Bucks in a heartbreaking loss. Regardless, Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had no answers for the point god. After spending the bulk of his career with the Kansas City Kings, Archibald won a championship with the Celtics in 1981 toward the end of his career.

Just a rookie, Patrick Ewing put the city of New York on his back and beat the eventual champion Boston Celtics in a comeback victory that went to double-overtime. Ewing blew up for 32 points and 11 rebounds. This game put Ewing on the map.

Fresh off winning the Toronto Raptors their first championship, Kawhi Leonard packed his bags for the bright lights of Los Angeles to play for the Clippers. In his first Christmas game as a Clipper, the two-way threat went up against LeBron James and the Lakers in The Battle for LA. Leonard lived up to the hype and dropped 33 points as the Clippers won the game 116-107.

Steph Curry, Chef Curry, the Baby-faced assassin… whatever you call him, he was lights out against the Phoenix Suns, finishing the day with 33 points, six assists, and four rebounds. This game was another primetime duel between two all-time great point guards: Steph Curry and Chris Paul. Watching them guard each other over the years has been fun to watch. 

The greatest player in Heat history, Dwayne Wade, showed up for this Christmas matchup and logged 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. The Heat beat Kobe Bryant and the Lakers thanks to Wade’s clutch playmaking ability. 

NBA legend Julius Erving was the marquee player in the NBA at this time. Dr. J scored 22 points to go along with six assists and six rebounds as the 76ers beat the New York Knicks 109-94. The high-flying dunker was the leader of some great Philly basketball teams in the 70s and 80s. He got his ring in 1983 when he teamed up with Moses Malone and swept the Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals.