Jazz mascot on Christmas
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The NBA has been scheduling games on Christmas for close to 80 years, and the holiday is usually reserved for some high-profile matchups featuring its best teams and players. That includes some superstars who have managed to rack up the most points on December 25th over the course of their careers.
No NBA players have scored more overall points on Christmas than these guys
The NBA was still known as the BAA when it scheduled its first slate of games on Christmas during its second season in 1947.
Those contests marked the beginning of an annual tradition that has seen all but one franchise (the Hornets) play on Christmas on at least one occasion, and there are some notable names who’ve been tapped for those showcases multiple times while working their way up the list of the guys with the most career points on that particular holiday.
8. Shaquille O’Neal: 272 (20.9 PPG)
Los-Angeles-Lakers-center-Shaquille-ONeal
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The Knicks are the only team that has played on Christmas more than the Lakers, and the dynamic duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant made them a staple around the turn of the millennium.
Shaq was at the center (and the center) for six Xmas showdowns during his time in Los Angeles, added four more during his time with the Heat, and ultimately appeared in 13 games on December 25th while scoring 272 points in those contests.
7. James Harden: 273 points (27.3 PPG)
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As things currently stand, James Harden is ahead of Shaq by exactly one point on this front, but he will not have the chance to add to his total after the Clippers were left off the list in 2025.
Harden has played on Christmas ten times, and he had his best game when he dropped 41 points against the Thunder in 2018.
6. Russell Westbrook: 288 (22.1 PPG)
Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook
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You probably won’t be shocked to learn the man who leads the NBA in career triple-doubles is one of ten players who’ve recorded one on Christmas; Westbrook checked the box for the first time with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Knicks in 2013, and he had a 36-17-11 performance against the Nuggets in 2016.
5. Dwyane Wade: 314 (24.1 PPG)
Heat guard Dwyane Wade
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One of the downsides of being a star player on one of the best teams in the NBA is that you’ll rarely get Christmas off, and Dwyane Wade ultimately played on December 25th in 13 of his 16 seasons in the NBA.
However, he peaked on the points front fairly early on in his career with a 40-point performance against the Lakers in 2016.
4. Kevin Durant: 342 (28.5 PPG)
Rockets forward Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is the first active player on this list who will have the chance to move up it in 2025, as the Clippers will face off against the Lakers in a primetime showdown.
There is a chance he’ll be able to overtake the man who currently occupies the third spot on the Christmas podium. However, if he wants to do that, he’ll have to surpass his career average in the 12 games he’s played and end up closer to the 44 points he had against the Nuggets in 2010, which marks his high point on the holiday.
3. Oscar Robertson: 377 (31.4 PPG)
Oscar Robertson
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You could make the argument that no NBA player deserves the title of “Mr. Christmas” more than Oscar Robertson, who is just one of ten players who’s averaged over 30 points per game.
He did that over the course of twelve contests (none of the other members of that club played more than six), and four of those performances also ended with him recording a triple-double.
2. Kobe Bryant: 395 (24.6 PPG)
Kobe Bryant
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Shaq may have been a factor in the Lakers becoming a Christmas hallmark, but I have a feeling the presence of Kobe Bryant would have been more than enough to justify their inclusion in the 16 games the legendary guard appeared in.
Los Angeles was somewhat surprisingly 6-10 in those showdowns, but that was not for lack of trying from a player who consistently made major contributions to the cause—none of which were more significant than the 42 points he had in an overtime loss to the Heat in 2004.
1. LeBron James: 507 (25.1 PPG)
LeBron James
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You also probably won’t be surprised to learn no player has played on Christmas more frequently than LeBron James, who will be in action for the 20th time in 23 seasons when the Lakers play the Rockets this year.
He is one of the aforementioned players who has had a triple-double, and it’s hard to imagine anyone is going to end up catching him in this category at any point in the near future (and possibly ever).