Which NBA stars are we likely to see at the 2028 Olympics?
LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant led the US team to another gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. And that’s a good thing, because in 2028 the team will look VERY different. But which stars will we see again?
LeBron James will play his record 19th Christmas game on Dec. 25, including his 17th in a row when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors.
This game is one of five games on Christmas this season and it will be the 17th consecutive season with five NBA games on Christmas. San Antonio Spurs second-year star Victor Wembanyama, the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year who played for France at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is on track to play his first Christmas game.
Here is the NBA schedule for Christmas Day 2024:
- San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
- Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 5:00 p.m. ET, ABC
- Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
- Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
A closer look at the NBA games on Christmas Day:
NBA games on Christmas Day 2024
San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, 12:00 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Knicks played the league’s first Christmas games in 1947, beating the Providence Steamrollers 89-61. The improving Knicks are playing their fourth consecutive Christmas game, and this will be the Spurs’ first Christmas game since 2016. The reason for that is Wembanyama.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC
In a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, Dallas’ Luka Dončić and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards are the stars, both of whom should be in the conversation for MVP honors. Last Christmas, Dončić became the first player in NBA history to record at least 50 points, 15 assists, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks in a game since steals and blocks were first recorded in 1973-74.
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 5:00 p.m. ET, ABC
The defending champion Celtics will play their ninth consecutive Christmas game. They are 5-3 in their last eight games, including wins in 2023 and 2022. It will be another opportunity to see how the Joel Embiid-Paul George-Tyrese Maxey combination works. Embiid averaged 31.3 points in four Christmas games, but missed the game against Miami on December 25 last year.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
James is 10-8 on Christmas Day, including three straight losses in 2021, 2022 and 2023. James is the NBA’s all-time record holder in games played (18), points scored (477) and field goals made (168), No. 2 in assists (127) and No. 6 in rebounds (139) in Christmas Day games.
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
After the Olympics, Denver star Nikola Jokic of Serbia is probably tired of playing against Phoenix and US stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The scheduler was smart with this duel. Durant (315) is one of five players with at least 300 points on Christmas and has averaged 28.6 points in games on December 25.
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Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
