The NBA released some of its regular-season schedule on Monday, including the Christmas Day slate which will feature LeBron James and his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Adding to the intrigue of his record 21st NBA Christmas Day game will be the opponent: James and the 76ers will visit his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron spent eight years playing for the franchise and helped deliver another NBA championship to the team in 2020.
He’s now suiting up for another Eastern Conference contender with the Philadelphia 76ers, who got much better not only with his addition, but also by acquiring five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics.
On the opposing side, the Los Angeles Lakers will have a different look to their starting five. The team traded with the Utah Jazz for big man Walker Kessler, creating a “Big Three” for their starting lineup that also features superstar Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
This season will mark the start of the Doncic era in Los Angeles, as he now becomes the official leader of the team. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Reaves signed a lucrative four-year, $180 million deal in July, securing him as Doncic’s star teammate for the foreseeable future.
The addition of Kessler was also big for the Lakers, as they’ve seemingly struggled to find the right fit at center ever since trading multi-time All-Star and 2020 champion Anthony Davis. Kessler spent his first four seasons with the Utah Jazz and averaged a double-double with 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season.
James and the 76ers will meet up with the Lakers at 5 p.m. ET as one of the five games on the Dec. 25 slate. The Christmas Day games begin with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in an NBA Finals rematch at 12 p.m. ET.
Additionally, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat play the Boston Celtics at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8 p.m. ET, and the Christmas Day games end with the Denver Nuggets playing the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. ET.
All five games will be televised on ABC and ESPN for basketball fans to enjoy a Christmas Day full of NBA action.