NBA Champions Thunder Land Christmas Day Clash with Wembanyama’s Spurs

After being overlooked for last year’s NBA Christmas schedule, the Oklahoma City Thunder will get their holiday spotlight this season, and on their own court. Led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the defending champions will host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on December 25 as part of the league’s annual quintupleheader.

The full Christmas Day slate, revealed by the NBA on Tuesday, features:

• Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks

• Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers

• Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors

• Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

• San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had acknowledged last season that his players wanted a Christmas game, calling it “a staple day in the NBA season.” Their championship run left no doubt this time. Oklahoma City clinched its holiday spot by defeating the Indiana Pacers in a dramatic seven-game Finals.

The Pacers, however, were left off the schedule this year, hit hard by Tyrese Haliburton’s season-ending Achilles injury and the free-agency departure of Myles Turner to Milwaukee.

Christmas Day will also mark a return for several teams who haven’t played the holiday in years — Cleveland and Oklahoma City for the first time since 2018, and Houston for the first time since 2019. The Knicks, meanwhile, will extend their league-record tally to 58 Christmas games, with their first appearance dating back to the inaugural holiday matchup at Madison Square Garden in 1947.

Some big names and franchises are missing this year. Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns all featured last Christmas but were replaced by Cleveland, Houston, and the Thunder. The Rockets’ place on the marquee is boosted by their blockbuster offseason trade for Kevin Durant from Phoenix.

For LeBron James, the Lakers’ home date against Houston could be a personal milestone. If he suits up, it will be his 20th Christmas Day appearance — matching or surpassing the total number of holiday games for half the league’s franchises — in what will be his record 23rd NBA season.

The 2024 Christmas schedule will also make Texas basketball history: for the first time, all three of the state’s NBA teams — Spurs, Rockets, and Mavericks — will be playing on the same December 25.

For Oklahoma City, the matchup is a statement. After years of building, the champions will celebrate the holiday by defending their title against one of the game’s brightest young stars.