This Christmas Day, the Los Angeles Lakers clashed with the Golden State Warriors, as LeBron James showcased a dazzling performance against his old adversary Stephen Curry, just a week shy of his 40th birthday.
🎁 LeBron on Christmas Day 2003:
34 PTS | 2 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLK🎁 LeBron on Christmas Day 2024:
31 PTS | 4 REB | 10 AST | 2 STL | 1 BLKThe gift that NEVER stopped giving. 👑 pic.twitter.com/xKtd6BqzGd
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) December 26, 2024
In the Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Warriors, LeBron scored 31 points (12-of-22 FG) and dished out 10 assists, while Curry had a standout performance with 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting (8-of-15 from three-point range).
LeBron and Steph delivered two Christmas Day classics. 8 years apart 🤯 pic.twitter.com/BmtopSJhGw
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 26, 2024
LeBron has now claimed the record for the most wins (11) and the highest all-time scoring total (507 points) on Christmas, underscoring his affinity for the holiday.
Young LeBron getting a basketball hoop for Christmas.
The rest is history. pic.twitter.com/fVyOuyzbqW
— Hoops © (@HoopMixOnly) December 24, 2024
After an outstanding performance on December 25, LeBron declared that Christmas is a day reserved for basketball rather than football.
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” LeBron commented.
LeBron James: “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.” pic.twitter.com/aYGNODI5ud
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 26, 2024
This year, the NFL streamed Christmas games on Netflix for the first time, yet both anticipated AFC matchups became one-sided: the Chiefs defeated the Steelers 29-10, and the Ravens routed the Texans 31-2.
In the Lakers/Warriors encounter, Austin Reaves shone as the game’s standout, notching a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Reaves also converted two crucial free throws in the closing moments and executed the game-winning layup, thwarting Curry’s comeback efforts.
Warriors fans thought they were in for a Christmas miracle…
Enter Austin Reaves: pic.twitter.com/aOYAFKYAAn
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 26, 2024
AUSTIN REAVES SAVED CHRISTMAS pic.twitter.com/grCCOyrYt1
— 𝓜𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓪🐍🖤 (@HoodiiMamba) December 26, 2024
It’s worth noting that many Christmas Day NBA games were tightly contested this year.
After the Phoenix Suns secured a 110-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets, two-time MVP Kevin Durant (who has scored 342 points on Christmas, the fourth-highest in history) echoed LeBron’s sentiments regarding the day’s entertainment value.
“It was an amazing day for basketball, and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to play,” Durant stated.
“It’s not just [me, Steph and LeBron], you see Jokic tonight. You see a hall of famer, an icon in Russ tonight. … It was an amazing day for basketball, I’m grateful I was able to play.”
—Kevin Durant wraps up NBA Christmas in the perfect way 🏀 pic.twitter.com/wPKcXEk4D9
— ESPN (@espn) December 26, 2024
In summary, while many fans may relish the presence of diverse sports on Christmas, this year, the NBA delivered more thrilling contests.
NFL vs NBA on Christmas Day:
2 Blowouts 2 Bangers
100% Napping 2 Classics
392 Viewers 40% of Earth Watching
0 Lebrons 1 LeBron@NFL YALL CAN KEEP THIS SHIT NEXT YEAR, WE’RE WATCHING THE NBA 😭✌🏽💯🫡 pic.twitter.com/voCH1U7aTT— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral) December 26, 2024
