They might not fit exactly under the tree, but basketball fans get the best gift of five NBA games on Christmas Day.
Possibly the biggest day of the NBA season, this year’s Christmas Day board has everything you can imagine. The day begins with an NBA playoff rematch, followed by a three-game streak in which a total of six former league MVPs could play.
To close the night, a potential future MVP takes the floor to face one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
We’ve got you covered below with everything you need to know about NBA Christmas Day 2023, from where and how to look to the injury report, Christmas Day records, and the uniforms each team will wear.
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2023 NBA Christmas Day Schedule
| Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| 12:00 PM | Falcons vs. Knicks | Madison Square Garden |
| 2:30 p.m. M. | Celtics vs. Bucks | Fiserv forum |
| 5:00 PM | Warriors against suns | Footprint center |
| 8:00 PM | Nets vs. Lakers | Crypto.com Arena |
| 10:30 PM | Mavericks vs. Jazz | Living Arena |
How to watch the 2023 NBA Christmas Day games
- Hawks vs. Knicks: ESPN | Watch ESPN | Sling tv
- Celtics vs. Bucks: ABC | Watch ESPN | Sling tv
- Warriors vs. Suns: ABC | Watch ESPN | Sling tv
- Nets vs. Lakers: ABC | ESPN | Watch ESPN | Sling tv
- Mavericks vs. Jazz: ESPN | Watch ESPN | Sling tv
Which stars will play on Christmas Day 2023?
In the days leading up to Christmas, the league’s day-to-day operations had been hit hard by injuries and the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Below you will find an up-to-date list of affected stakeholders and their status as of Christmas Day.
| Team | Player | Condition | Reason |
| Atlanta hawks | Bring young | Health and safety protocols | |
| Clint Chapel | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Danilo gallinari | Health and safety protocols | ||
| The New York Knicks | Immanuel quickley | Health and safety protocols | |
| Nerlens Noel | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Boston Celts | Al horford | Health and safety protocols | |
| Enes Kanter Freedom | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Grant williams | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Milwaukee Bucks | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Health and safety protocols | |
| Donte DiVincenzo | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Bobby portis | Health and safety protocols | ||
| golden state warriors | Jordan poole | Health and safety protocols | |
| Andrew Wiggins | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Klay thompson | Out of | Recovery from Right Achilles Tendon Injury | |
| James Wiseman | Out of | Recovering from a right knee injury | |
| Brooklyn networks | LaMarcus Aldridge | Health and safety protocols | |
| Kevin During | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Bruce brown | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Joe harris | Out of | Right ankle surgery | |
| Kyrie irving | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Los angeles lakers | Anthony Davis | Out of | Crooked left MCL |
| Avery bradley | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Austin reaves | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Kent bazemore | Health and safety protocols | ||
| Dallas mavericks | Luka doncic | Health and safety protocols |
NBA Christmas Day records
In 2023, LeBron James will tie Kobe Bryant in the most games played on Christmas Day at 16.
James also comes to Christmas Day 12 points from tying Bryant for the most points scored over the holidays and 13 points from becoming the all-time leader.
Below, view single game and all time records for games played on Christmas Day.
| Individual match | All time | |
| Points | 60 – Bernard King, 1984 | 395 – Kobe Bryant (16 games) |
| Bounces | 36 – Wilt Chamberlain, 1961 | 176 – Bill Russell (8 games) |
| Attend | 18 – Nate Archibald, 1972 | 144 – Oscar Robertson (12 games) |
| Robberies | 7 – Kyrie Irving, 2016 | 28 – Russell Westbrook (10 games) |
| Blocks | 8 – DeAndre Jordan, 2011 | 25 – Shaquille O’Neal (13 games) |
| Triples | 7 – Three times | 25 – K. Durant (10 games) and L. James (15 games) |
| Free shots | November 22 – Bernard King, 1984 | 125 – Oscar Robertson (12 games) |
2023 Christmas Day uniforms
While no special Christmas uniforms have been worn since 2016, most teams in action in 2023 will wear their “City Edition” uniforms. The two exceptions? The Warriors, whose City uniforms are the same color as their opponents, and the Lakers, who traditionally wear Association whites on Sundays and holidays.
Hawks (City) vs. Knicks (City)
Celtics (City) vs. Bucks (City)
Warriors (Association) vs Suns (City)
Nets (City) vs. Lakers (Association)
Mavericks (city) vs. Jazz (city)
