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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. If there's one trend that stands out from the NBA ’s 2026 Christmas Day schedule, it's pretty simple: The biggest names in the league are going to be on TV all day long.
The goal was obviously to bring the biggest and best players to the small screen for the holiday. That's the trend.
Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James , Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry are all part of the five-game Christmas slate. That's an incredible amount of star power packed into one day, and even the biggest NBA diehard probably won't be able to give every game their full attention.
The day starts with the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks at noon EDT, and it's hard to imagine a better way to kick things off. It's an NBA Finals rematch, with Wembanyama and the Spurs heading back to Madison Square Garden after losing to New York in five games last season. The Knicks appeared to unlock something special during that run, and seeing how both teams look in the next chapter should be fascinating.
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The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics meet at 2:30 p.m., giving fans another rivalry with plenty of recent history. Boston nearly traded for Giannis this summer, while Miami actually landed him. The teams also bring very different styles. Joe Mazzulla's Celtics will be looking to fire away from 3, while Erik Spoelstra's Heat are still built around toughness and defense.
At 5 p.m., LeBron returns to Los Angeles when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Lakers. James will face his former team on Christmas, with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and potentially Joel Embiid joining him against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. There should be lots of offense in this one.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder then visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m. LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards give Minnesota two dangerous off-the-dribble shooters, while Chet Holmgren gets another chance to make his mark against an elite opponent. The Thunder's young players will also get a major national-TV spotlight.
Finally, Curry and Jokic meet when the Denver Nuggets visit the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. It's the latest game of the day, which could make it tough for some fans to stay awake, and both teams have questions heading into the season. Still, putting Curry and Jokic on the same Christmas schedule means this one could easily surprise us.
That's really the story of this year's Christmas lineup. It's all about the big names for the festive holiday.
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