Watch: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade show their chemistry and connect on two big fastbreak dunks at Staples Center, 8 years ago today
Christmas Day games are some of the biggest in the NBA season calendar, and LeBron James will feature in yet another high-profile encounter. The LA Lakers will host the Brooklyn Nets in the arena now called Crypto.com Arena.
Fans aren't exactly excited to lose the name Staples, but it is official, as the branding and decorations are already in place ahead of the Lakers-Nets matchup. Regardless of the name, the arena is still located in the heart of Los Angeles and is home to some of the biggest stars in the league, including LeBron James.
The NBA is celebrating its 75th Anniversary with five Christmas Day specials this year. What better way to commemorate the day than with videos of two former team members, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, combining for two mind-blowing fastbreak alley-oop dunks at Staples Center.
LeBron James' partnership with Wade and Chris Bosh during his four-year stint with the Miami Heat created a superteam not many could contend with. In the four years they spent together, they made four Finals appearances and won two championships.
Many wonder what would have happened if the team had stayed together, but Wade believes their four years together was the perfect stretch and did not think they could have won more championships.
Nonetheless, Wade and James were known for their show-stopping alley-oops, and they put on a show for the fans at Staples eight years ago. It was their last season together, as LeBron James chose to return to Cleveland in the 2014 offseason.
Can LeBron James put together another scintillating Christmas Day performance?
Since the 2007-08 season, every team LeBron James has turned out for has played on Christmas Day. The four-time NBA champion needs to score at least 13 tonight against the Nets to surpass Kobe Bryant's as the all-time Christmas Day leading scorer.
LeBron James has been playing at an unreal level, and will most likely surpass Bryant's scoring record considering the form he is in, but the Lakers will need a complete performance from the whole team if they are to win.
While seeing LeBron James turn on the jets offensively will be a nice watch, the fans will be more interested in the Lakers securing the win. The Lakers need to get back above .500 and what better way to achieve that than in front of the fans at home.
LeBron’s last 12 Games:
39 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST
30 PTS, 7 REB, 11 AST
33 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST
23 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST
30 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST
20 PTS, 10 REB, 11 AST
33 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST
30 PTS, 11 REB, 10 AST
24 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST
18 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST
31 PTS, 14 REB, 6 AST
34 PTS, 7 REB https://t.co/LDd1CNIOeK
The Lakers will go into this fixture with significant absentees, but can defeat the depleted Nets team if they do enough. Everyone is aware of the type of performance Lebron James is expected to put in, but the rest of the roster always needs to be ready to go always.
It is incredible to witness what LeBron James is doing in year 19. He has scored 30+ points in nine of his last 13 games and is averaging 26.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game.