The NBA has revealed its 2026 Christmas Day schedule, setting up a five-game lineup featuring some of the league’s biggest stars and most compelling early-season storylines.
The Christmas Day slate will feature the San Antonio Spurs visiting the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, LeBron James returning to Los Angeles with the Philadelphia 76ers, and several other marquee matchups involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Stephen Curry.
All five games will air on ABC and ESPN on Friday, December 25.
2026 NBA Christmas Day Schedule
The holiday action will begin at noon Eastern time at Madison Square Garden.
Spurs vs. Knicks
12 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN
The San Antonio Spurs will visit the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will face Jalen Brunson and the defending NBA champions in what is expected to be one of the most anticipated games of the Christmas schedule.
The Knicks have been regular participants on Christmas Day since the league’s first Christmas games in 1947. This will be New York’s 59th Christmas appearance and its 51st home game on December 25.
The matchup also reunites two teams that met on Christmas in 2024, when New York defeated San Antonio 117-114 despite a 42-point performance from Wembanyama.
Heat vs. Celtics
2:30 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN
The Miami Heat will travel to Boston for a matchup featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.
This will be Antetokounmpo’s first Christmas Day appearance as a member of the Heat. Miami last appeared on the Christmas schedule in 2023.
The Heat also enter the holiday slate with one of the strongest Christmas records in NBA history. Miami is 12-2 on Christmas, giving the franchise an NBA-best .857 winning percentage on the holiday.
Boston will make its 39th Christmas Day appearance, the third-most in NBA history.
76ers vs. Lakers
5 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN
The afternoon matchup could become the most talked-about game of the day.
LeBron James will return to Los Angeles as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers to face his former team and Luka Dončić and the Lakers.
James has appeared in more Christmas games than any player in NBA history. The December 25 matchup will mark his 21st Christmas Day game, extending his league record. He has also played on Christmas for 19 consecutive seasons.
The game will also feature several of the NBA’s biggest names, including Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown for Philadelphia and Austin Reaves alongside Dončić for Los Angeles.
For James, the game carries an obvious storyline because it will be his first Christmas appearance in Los Angeles since joining the 76ers.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves
8 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN
The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Western Conference matchup featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball.
Oklahoma City defeated Minnesota in the 2025 Western Conference Finals, adding another layer to the matchup.
The Timberwolves will make their third straight Christmas Day appearance, while Ball is scheduled to make his Christmas debut.
Nuggets vs. Warriors
10:30 p.m. ET, ABC and ESPN
The Christmas schedule will close with the Denver Nuggets visiting the Golden State Warriors.
Nikola Jokić and Stephen Curry headline the late-night matchup, giving NBA fans a marquee Western Conference game to finish the holiday.
Jokić has recorded three Christmas Day triple-doubles in six career appearances. Last season, he posted 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists against Minnesota in a 142-128 overtime victory.
Curry and the Warriors have also become Christmas staples. Golden State is scheduled to play on December 25 for the 14th consecutive season and its 16th Christmas game in the past 17 seasons.
A Christmas Slate Loaded With NBA Stars
The 2026 schedule brings together a collection of current and former MVPs, Finals MVPs, champions and All-Stars.
The NBA’s Christmas lineup includes Wembanyama, Brunson, Antetokounmpo, James, Dončić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Edwards, Jokić and Curry.
The league is once again using Christmas Day as one of its biggest regular-season television showcases, with all five games airing across ABC and ESPN.
LeBron’s Return Adds Extra Buzz
While the entire schedule is packed with marquee matchups, James’ return to Los Angeles gives the 5 p.m. game a particularly strong national storyline.
James spent six seasons with the Lakers and helped the franchise win the 2020 NBA championship. His appearance in a 76ers uniform at Crypto.com Arena will be one of the most recognizable moments of the Christmas schedule.
James also enters the game with an extensive Christmas Day résumé. He currently leads NBA history in Christmas points, field goals made and victories on the holiday.
NBA Christmas Tradition Continues
Christmas Day has long been one of the NBA’s signature regular-season showcases, and the 2026 schedule continues that tradition with a lineup built around star power and high-profile matchups.
The Spurs and Knicks will open the holiday, followed by Heat-Celtics, 76ers-Lakers, Thunder-Timberwolves and Nuggets-Warriors.
The complete 2026-27 NBA regular-season schedule is scheduled to be announced Thursday, August 13.