The top 5 career scorers in NBA Christmas games
The tradition of NBA Christmas games stretches all the way back to 1947. Football fans get to enjoy the NFL on Thanksgiving, but Christmas Day belongs to the NBA.
LeBron James, who is currently No. 3 all-time in scoring on Christmas Day, is the only remaining active player in the top 5. James will be playing on Christmas Day with his defending NBA Champion LA Lakers this year, and could potentially surpass the 2nd all-time NBA Christmas scorer.
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We have seen the stars of the NBA shine on that magical 25th day of December, but some have stood out above the rest. Here are the top five all-time scorers in NBA Christmas games.
#5 Shaq loves NBA Christmas
Former NBA Champion Shaquille O'Neal checks in at No. 5 on our Christmas list. Shaq played in a total of 13 NBA Christmas Day games and shot 53 percent from the field for a total of 272 career points. O'Neal makes the top five for now but has Brooklyn Nets' star Kevin Durant hot on his tail. In just nine career Christmas Day games, Durant has scored 270 career points, and will likely surpass O'Neal in 2020. Durant will play this Christmas and break into the top five unless he goes scoreless for the entire game. Nonetheless, Shaq still makes make our top 5 for now, and his Christmas infamy will live on through this amazing fail video.
#4 Dwyane Wade works on holidays
Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade sits at No. 4 on our list, accumulating 314 career points on 45 percent shooting in NBA Christmas games. Wade spent his final season with the Miami Heat in 2018-19 and retired after 16 years in the NBA. Wade will go down as an all-time great guard, and there's no surprise he has made this list. He kept the Heat as legitimate contenders through the years, whether he had the help of LeBron James or not. It's sad that we will not see Christmas D-Wade on the court again, but Flash made quite the splash on the 25th.
#3 LeBron gets the bag
LeBron James has been in the spotlight since his NBA debut, so it's no surprise seeing his name on this list. Whenever there is an opportunity for primetime NBA television, there is a great likelihood LeBron is involved. LeBron will play in his 15th career NBA Christmas game this season and has accumulated a total of 361 points on 48.7 percent shooting on December 25th thus far.
The LA Lakers will be playing the Dallas Mavericks this Christmas, and LeBron will overtake the No. 2 spot with just 17 points. With a win against the Mavericks, LeBron would move to 10-5 in his career in NBA Christmas games.
#2 Oscar Robertson gives the gift of buckets
Oscar Robertson, NBA legend and Milwaukee Bucks great, has perhaps the most interesting stat line of all the great scorers on this list. While Robertson played in 12 career games on December 25th, his most memorable were his first two NBA Christmas Games. In 1960 a rookie Big O posted a 32-16-15 stat line against the Detroit Pistons and then one year later he topped himself by going 40-17-12 against the LA Lakers.
Overall in NBA Christmas games, Robertson scored 377 points on 47 percent shooting. There is no question that Oscar Robertson was feeling the holiday spirit on Christmas Day and he held the top spot for 45 years until the person at No. 1 overtook him.
#1 Kobe the Christmas Mamba
The all-time leader in scoring on Christmas Day is none other than Kobe Bryant. The LA Lakers legend played in a league-record 16 NBA Christmas games. Kobe scored a total of 395 points on December 25th and shot 41 percent from the field.
Bryant made such a huge impact on the league, and its effects have only been amplified since his passing. Bryant will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, and while his record may be broken by LeBron James or Kevin Durant one day, the memories made by Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day will live on forever.