The NBA’s Christmas Day 2026 schedule is set, and the league did not hold back. Five games on December 25 – headlined by LeBron James making his first return to Los Angeles as a visiting player, dressed in Philadelphia 76ers red.
The NBA announced the slate on Tuesday, with Shams Charania posting the full lineup on X: Spurs at Knicks, Heat at Celtics, 76ers at Lakers, Thunder at Timberwolves, and Nuggets at Warriors. All five games on ABC and ESPN.
LeBron vs. Luka at Crypto.com Arena
The centerpiece: 76ers at Lakers at 5 p.m. ET. James signed with Philadelphia in late July on a two-year deal, ending his eight seasons with the franchise he led to the 2020 title. Now he flies back for the first time as the opponent, alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown – a trio built to compete immediately.
It will be LeBron’s 21st Christmas Day game, an NBA record. Luka Doncic and the Lakers, who have rebuilt around younger pieces since James’ departure, will be waiting. The optics are obvious. So is the television draw.
Knicks open Christmas as defending champions
The day begins at noon ET with the Spurs visiting Madison Square Garden – a direct rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals, which New York closed out in five games. Jalen Brunson (Finals MVP) and the Knicks host Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio for what amounts to the league’s most loaded opener on the holiday. Their first title since 1973 is still fresh enough to feel surreal.
At the same time, Giannis Antetokounmpo takes his Miami Heat to Boston for a clash with the Celtics. It is Giannis’s first Christmas game in a Heat uniform after the blockbuster trade from Milwaukee in late June. Bam Adebayo’s frontcourt alongside the Greek Freak against a Celtics team in transition makes for a natural rivalry.
The slate closes in the West: Thunder at Timberwolves, then Nuggets at Warriors. That last game carries its own weight – Nikola Jokic against a Warriors team leaning on Stephen Curry in what many see as a farewell season for the dynasty core.
What it means for the 2026-27 season
The full 2026-27 schedule drops alongside the Christmas reveal. The 76ers open on October 20 at Madison Square Garden – LeBron, Embiid, and Brown walking into the defending champions’ home on night one. By Christmas, both teams will have roughly 30 games of evidence on whether this Sixers superteam is as dangerous as advertised.
For the Lakers, hosting LeBron on Christmas Day is the kind of moment the league scripts around. Luka vs. LeBron has never happened in the regular season with Luka as the home team. December 25, 2026, fixes that.
Sources: Shams Charania / ESPN; Bleacher Report; CBS Sports.
