Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts as his team plays the Orlando Magic in the course of the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)
MIAMI — Erik Spoelstra was a part of 12 Christmas games as a staff member, assistant coach or head coach in his first 20 seasons with the Miami Heat.
And within the eight seasons that followed, the Heat played on Christmas just once.
Here’s what he realized: For an NBA team, playing on Christmas beats not playing on Christmas. The Heat return to the league’s holiday slate for the primary time since 2020 on Monday, once they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers as a part of the NBA’s traditional Christmas quintuple header.
The opposite games: Milwaukee at Recent York, Golden State visits defending champion Denver, Boston visits the Los Angeles Lakers within the rekindling of the NBA’s best all-time rivalry and Dallas goes to Phoenix.
“It’s an honor to have that chance to play on Christmas,” Spoelstra said. “The entire league doesn’t play on the vacation and there have been several years in a row where we were never even considered for enjoying on Christmas. And you then return, you almost took it as a right that we were at all times playing on Christmas.”
Other teams also insist they don’t take it as a right.
Golden State playing on Christmas has change into a vacation tradition; the Warriors are on the Dec. 25 schedule for the thirteenth time within the last 14 years. And Warriors guard Stephen Curry still gets enthusiastic about what awaits.
“Marquee games on Christmas, it’s going to be a terrific atmosphere,” Curry said. “You realize, we’ve been in that environment before, so I understand what it’s going to be like. On the road, it’s going to be fun to only compete. It’s a test.”
The Christmas slate was long considered the unofficial point within the NBA schedule where more fans start being attentive. Football is winding down, and the NBA games are all shown nationally either on ABC or ESPN.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts as he watches teammates in the course of the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
LeBron James will concentrate, too — but not until certain other Christmas business is complete. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has played more games on Dec. 25 than anyone in league history, though his top priority entering the vacation is watching 9-year-old daughter Zhuri light up when she rips the wrapping paper off what’s coming her way.
“The one thing I care about Monday at once is my daughter waking up and opening her gifts,” James said Saturday after he and the Los Angeles Lakers beat Oklahoma City.
The Heat planned a brief practice for Christmas Eve morning. They were getting most of Sunday off, together with Christmas morning. Players aren’t due at the world until Monday afternoon for the sport, with Spoelstra attempting to be certain that everyone gets time to have fun as they need.
“These are a bunch of wins,” Spoelstra said, “but we’ve just got to be certain that we get the win.”
MOST AND LEAST
The Lakers have essentially the most Christmas wins with 24, yet another than the Knicks. The Knicks will play on Christmas for the 56th time, extending their record.
The teams and not using a Christmas win are Charlotte (0-0), Memphis (0-1) and Toronto (0-2).
James will aim for his eleventh win on Christmas, which might break a tie with former teammate Dwyane Wade for essentially the most by a player in NBA history. James will play in his 18th Christmas game, extending his record; Kobe Bryant played in 16 for the league’s second-highest total.
Amongst energetic players, Kevin Durant has the second most and is about to play on Christmas for the eleventh time when the Suns meet the Mavericks.
Spoelstra — who’s 8-0 as a head coach on the vacation — will attempt to change into the fifth coach with nine Christmas wins. He would join Jack Ramsay (11-3), Phil Jackson (11-7), Gene Shue (9-4) and Red Auerbach (9-6).
SAME TEAMS, PRETTY MUCH
Of the ten teams picked for Christmas this 12 months, nine also played on Dec. 25 last 12 months. The exception is Miami — the Eastern Conference champion Heat are back on the Christmas schedule, and Memphis is off after debuting last 12 months.
The Lakers are on the Christmas schedule for the twenty fifth consecutive 12 months while Golden State is playing for the eleventh straight 12 months.
Boston got a Christmas game for the eighth consecutive 12 months, Milwaukee for the sixth straight and Dallas for the fourth in a row.
Recent York and Phoenix have been picked in each of the last three years, and Denver and Philadelphia are back on the Christmas schedule for the second straight season.
MILESTONES AWAIT
Dallas’ Luka Doncic will arrive in Phoenix 11 points shy of reaching 10,000 for his profession. If he gets there Monday against the Suns, the milestone will are available in his 358th profession game — tying Bob McAdoo for the sixth-quickest trip to 10,000 points in NBA history.
The others who got there faster: Wilt Chamberlain (236 games), Michael Jordan (303), Elgin Baylor (315), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (319) and Oscar Robertson (334).
Meanwhile, for the Suns, Durant needs one point to change into the fifth player in history with 300 on Christmas. He’d join James (460 entering Monday), Bryant (395), Robertson (377) and Wade (314) on that list.
CHRISTMAS DROUGHTS
Charlotte has not played in a Christmas game, and a couple of other franchises have been waiting a protracted time to be a part of the vacation lineup.
Sacramento’s last Christmas game was 2003, Indiana’s was in 2004, Detroit’s was in 2005, Orlando’s was in 2011 and essentially the most recent ones for Chicago and San Antonio were in 2016.
QUOTABLE
Warriors guard Klay Thompson told the team’s television broadcast Saturday night what awaits his prized English bulldog Rocco this 12 months: “He does have a stocking. He’s got some rabbit jerky in there. He’s got some great things. So, Rocco’s well taken care of.”
But did Thompson get all of his teammates gifts? Evidently not. “The rookies just get to be benefited with my presence,” Thompson said.
