Defending champs host Finals rematch as LeBron returns to L.A. on five-game holiday bill.
The NBA just handed fans an early Christmas present. On Tuesday the league unveiled its 2026 Christmas Day schedule. It is a five-game marathon loaded with champions, MVPs and storylines. These should dominate the holiday conversation.
This follows our earlier look at the full 2026-27 season outlook on glowls.com. There, the contender picture and key roster moves already signaled a loaded year ahead.
Finals Rematch Opens the Day
Action tips off at noon ET from Madison Square Garden. The San Antonio Spurs visit the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 2026 NBA Finals. The Knicks, now defending champions, host Victor Wembanyama’s squad in what becomes an instant must-watch.
Heat-Celtics Rivalry, Then LeBron’s Homecoming
At 2:30 p.m., Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat face the Boston Celtics. Later, at 5 p.m., the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James returns to the city where he spent eight seasons, now wearing Sixers colors against Luka Dončić and his former team.
Nightcap Western Battles
Oklahoma City travels to Minnesota at 8 p.m., a rematch of recent Western Conference tension featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards. The day closes at 10:30 p.m. with Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets at Golden State. There they will play against Steph Curry’s Warriors.
All five games air on ABC and ESPN. The slate mixes recent title teams, perennial Christmas regulars and several of the league’s biggest stars. All of these are featured in one afternoon and night of basketball.
Read the full announcement here: https://www.nba.com/news/nba-on-christmas-day-schedule-2026-27
AI Disclosure: This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and edited by the Glowls News editorial team before publication.