NBA fans got an early Christmas present on Thursday, and it wasn’t just the Serbia-USA thriller at the Olympics.
The slate of games for Christmas Day, one of the most important days on the NBA calendar, was revealed by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Headlining the festivities will be huge rivalry matchups between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers on the East Coast, then the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors on the West.
The New York Knicks, a mainstay on Christmas Day, will take on the San Antonio Spurs and phenom Victor Wembanyama in his first of many holiday matchups. This will also be the only inter-conference game of the day.
Two more potential future faces of the league will also go head-to-head, as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks face off against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Then as a nightcap, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets takes on Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in a rematch of their 2022 Christmas Day head-to-head.
If fans want an early look at teams that are likely to win the title come June, the past five champions have made appearances in the Christmas Day game that season.
The full schedule for the NBA season has yet to be released, but last season, the NBA put out the complete listings on Aug. 17.
