When it comes to playing on Christmas Day, no one has more experience than Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James. James will play in his record 20th Christmas game this season, and while he’s always appreciative of the opportunity, he’d rather spend the holiday at home with his family.
“I'd much rather be at home with my family,” James said of playing on Christmas. "But I mean, it's the game, it's the game that I love. It's a game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas.
“It's always been an honor to play it. Obviously, I'm gonna be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day. But our number is called, so we have to go out and perform and I look forward to it.”
James hasn't been able to spend Christmas Day with his family in two decades, so it's understandable why he would feel the way he does. But at the end of the day, he understands the obligation he has to the fans of the game, and putting on a show for them remains important to him.
James and the Lakers are set to host Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets on Dec. 25 in a matchup of two Western Conference contenders. It will mark the first Christmas Day matchup between James and Durant since 2018.
By playing again on Christmas Day, James will have an opportunity to extend many of his own holiday records. James is the Christmas Day career leader in points (507), games played (19), field goals made (180), three-pointers made (tied with James Harden with 31) and victories (11). He ranks second with 137 assists (eight behind Oscar Robertson, with 145) and 28 steals (two behind Russell Westbrook, with 30).
James is on the final year of his current contract with the Lakers, and his future remains uncertain at this point. So, there’s a chance that this will be the final time that we see James suit up on Christmas Day. Even if it’s not, there certainly won’t be many holiday appearances left for the 23-year veteran, so appreciate them while you can.