Looking back on Michael Jordan's Christmas Day performances

 

                                              (Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty Images) 

Michael Jordan was an early marquee attraction for the NBA's Christmas Day action. Admittedly, when I think of Michael Jordan and Christmas, I think of that cardboard cutout of him in the fake party scene of Home Alone. While he did his part to keep the McCallister home safe, he also had some memorable moments on the hardwood during this festive time of year. Here's a look back at how MJ performed on December 25th. 

The first time Air Jordan played on Christmas Day was in 1986 on the road against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Jordan scored 30 points on 10-28 shooting from the field and 10-12 shooting from the foul line while also having three rebounds, five assists, six steals, and two blocks. Jordan stuffed the stat sheet like Santa Clause stuffing stockings. Unfortunately for him and the Bulls, the Knicks came out on top 86-85, led by Patrick Ewing, who had a ridiculous performance of his own: 28 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks. 

The next time his Royal Airness laced up his high-tops on Christmas Day was in 1990 against the Detroit Pistons. This time the Bulls were at home. Jordan exploded for 37 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks as the Bulls won by a final score of 98-86. Joe Dumars had 24 points for the Pistons while Isiah Thomas had 23 points and 10 assists. Both guys played well, but they were no match for Jordan on that day. The Bulls would go on to win their first NBA championship later that season. The Bulls' dynasty was just taking flight as Jordan was starting to enter the prime of his career. 

The following year in 1991, fresh off their first title, the Bulls returned to the Christmas Day stage with a 121-99 victory at home over the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird was still on the Celtics, scoring eight points while adding eight rebounds and four assists. Rick Fox, yes you read that correctly, scored 21 points for the Celtics as their leading scorer. As for Michael Jordan, he had 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three blocks while Scottie Pippen had 27 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and four steals to lead the way. Jordan took more of a backseat role to Pippen in this game, but still had a strong performance. The Bulls would go on to win their second straight NBA title later that season. 

En route to their third straight NBA championship in 1993, the Bulls played on Christmas Day, 1992 against the Knicks. This time it was at home after playing in New York in 1986. The Bulls won 89-77 as Jordan went off for 42 points to go along with eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Pippen also joined in on the party with 16 points, five assists, five steals, and three blocks. This was truly a Christmas Day performance of the ages for Jordan. He was in peak form and played like he was starring in his own rendition of Miracle on 34th Street: Windy City Edition. 

Jordan then retired after winning his third NBA championship. The Bulls would play on Christmas Day without him in 1993 and 1994, winning both games. In 1993, the Bulls defeated the Orlando Magic 95-93 at home as Pippen carried the load with 28 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. In 1994, the Bulls defeated the Knicks at home 107-104 in overtime as Pippen had 36 points, 16 rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. Pippen really balled out on Christmas Day when MJ was gone. He sure seemed to enjoy being the main man on the Bulls during those years. 

Oddly enough, the Bulls would not play on Christmas Day in 1995, the same season they went 72-10 and won their fourth championship. I guess since they weren't the defending NBA champions, the league decided to give them the holiday off. 

Jordan would return to spread holiday cheer on December 25th, 1996 against the Detroit Pistons in a game that was played in Chicago.  The Bulls won 95-83 as they were en route to their fifth championship. Jordan had 23 points and 10 rebounds in this game while Pippen had 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two blocks. It was a fun day of holiday hoops at the United Center. 

Jordan's final Christmas Day game came on December 25th, 1997 against the Miami Heat at the United Center en route to their sixth NBA championship. The Bulls would win 90-80 as Jordan had 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Jamal Mashburn was the leading scorer for the Heat with 20 points. Given how he came to be the featured player on Christmas, it's fitting that Jordan's final game on this special holiday was a victory. He always cared about his fans and putting on a great show for them. He certainly did that in this game. 

To wrap this all up like a Christmas gift, I hope you had fun revisiting Michael Jordan's Christmas Day moments. It was fun for me to look back on how he performed. I wish everyone reading this a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2026 brings for the NBA! 

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Five takeaways from the NBA's Christmas Day action

 

                           (Victor Wembanyama taking a 3-pointer-Credit: Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports) 

On Christmas Day, the NBA continued their tradition of playing five games: Knicks 117 Spurs 114, Timberwolves 105 Mavericks 99, 76ers 118 Celtics 114, Lakers 115 Warriors 113, and Suns 110 Nuggets 100 were the final scores. Below are five takeaways I have from the holiday's NBA action. 

#1. The Knicks appear to be improved from last season: The Knicks took a step forward last season with their 50-32 record, finishing second in the Atlantic Division and reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season. After their win over the Spurs on Christmas, they are now 20-10 overall with a better winning percentage than they had last season. Two players the Knicks have that they didn't have last year are Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, both whom they acquired via trades. 

Bridges had 41 points and four assists while Towns had 21 points and nine rebounds, helping the Knicks overcome a phenomenal performance by Spurs' center Victor Wembanyama, who had 42 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks. Even though the Spurs are now 15-15 and the Knicks were favored by 8.5 points, this game I think can serve as evidence that the Knicks are better than a season ago. Towns and Bridges appear to be really nice pieces around Jalen Brunson, who has become the star of the Knicks. Adding both of them seems to have made the Knicks better. 

#2. Will the Timberwolves finally get going: The Timberwolves had a huge 105-99 win on the road against the 4th place Dallas Mavericks. Anthony Edwards was fantastic with his 26 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, helping the Wolves stave off an impressive run at the end by the Mavericks, who outscored the Wolves 31-15 in the 4th quarter. The Wolves are coming off a season in which they reached the Western Conference Finals and yet as of now, they are 15-14 and 9th place in the West. Perhaps this win will light a fire in them and get them going. 

#3. Tyrese Maxey is the real McCoy: I first heard of Tyrese Maxey back when he was playing at South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. I was covering Cal for Rivals.com at the time (now I cover Stanford for Rivals) and the Golden Bears were recruiting him. He of course ended up going to Kentucky and the rest is history. Maxey would go on to get selected in the 1st round of the 2020 NBA Draft with the 21st overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers and from there, he has become one of the top talents in the NBA averaging 25.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. 

Maxey's talent was on full display on Christmas as he led the 76ers to a 118-114 victory on the road against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Maxey finished with 33 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals. He was simply sensational. The 76ers might be having a down season at 11-17 overall, but Maxey's performance was a reminder that with him on their team, they have a very bright future. 

#4. LeBron James will play as long as he wants: LeBron James turns 40 at the end of December and he's still putting up all-star level numbers with 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. In a 115-113 win at Golden State, King James had 31 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists. It's ridiculous what this man is doing at his age. 

I'm still in the camp of Michael Jordan is the GOAT, but James is putting up better numbers than Jordan was putting up at the same age and James has more mileage on him having played in the NBA for more seasons. If there's a case one wants to make for James being the GOAT, it's the longevity card for sure. With the way he's playing, James could probably play in the NBA for at least five more years. The only question is does he want to? 

#5. The Phoenix Suns showed they have some depth: Despite their number two scorer Devin Booker (25.1 points) being out due to a groin injury, the Suns were still able to beat a good Denver Nuggets team 110-100. Kevin Durant of course led the way with his 27 points, four rebounds, and six assists, but other guys like Tyus Jones (17 points), Bradley Beal (27 points), and Monté Morris (11 points) all scored comfortably above their season averages. 

At 15-14, the Suns are squarely in the mix for a playoff spot and they showed in this game that when one of their top two players is out, they can rise to the occasion and still come out on top against a quality opponent. That should give them a lot of confidence going forward the rest of the season. 

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Skyhook Sunday: Previewing the NBA's Christmas Day action

When I think of Christmas Day, I have to confess that I first think of NBA basketball. As a Christian, this may not be the best thing to admit, but I comfort myself in knowing that Christmas Day derives from a pagan holiday that celebrates the winter solstice. It makes me feel more justified in associating Christmas Day with NBA hoops. Anyways, with that admission of guilt now out in the open, let me quickly dissect the five NBA games that will be played on Christmas Day.

Boston Celtics (17-13) at New York Knicks (16-13) (12:00 PM EST on ESPN): The first game of Christmas Day will the Boston Celtics at the New York Knicks. The Celtics come into this game as the 3rd overall seed in the Eastern Conference while the Knicks are the 5th overall seed just half of a game behind them. From a playoff positioning perspective, this game definitely matters. With the Knicks being at home and being behind in the standings, this game matters a little bit more to them. For the first time in a little while anyways, the Knicks are playing on Christmas Day while also being relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

If the Knicks want to win this game, Kristaps Porzingis (19.9 points and 7.6 rebounds) and Carmelo Anthony (22.5 points) need to have big days while also not allowing Isaiah Thomas (27.0 points) to go off.

As for the Celtics, they'll want to see if they can get more guys than just Isaiah Thomas going. If they could get a big game from Al Horford and maybe have rookie Jaylen Brown score in double figures, that would be huge.

Overall, this game should be a fun game to start off the holiday. It's a classic Eastern Conference battle with playoff implications, which is always a good combination to have in any game.

Golden State Warriors (27-4) at Cleveland Cavaliers (22-6) (2:30 PM EST on ABC): One of the best parts of Christmas Day is that over the past few years, it's always included an NBA Finals rematch. This time, it's the Cleveland Cavaliers who are playing on Christmas Day as the defending NBA champions. A major storyline in this game is the absence of J.R. Smith, who will miss the next 12-14 weeks due to needing surgery on his right thumb. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers play without him in such a big game.

If the Cavaliers want to win this game, they'll want to get really quality production from their big three of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and of course LeBron James. In addition, the Cavaliers will really want to set the tone early and establish themselves as the defending champions. By adding Kevin Durant the Warriors are a different team than last year, but the Cavaliers can still remind everybody that they are the defending NBA championship team by setting the tone early.

As for the Warriors, they need to get out to an early lead with Kevin Durant playing very well. If the Warriors can get out to an early lead with Kevin Durant playing well, not only will they get the win, but they'll also send a message to the rest of the NBA that this year is different than last year and that they are the odds on favorite to win it all.

Overall, this game will be a fun one to watch. Seeing Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry go up against LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love will be really exciting and also informative as it will give us a window into what our likely NBA Finals matchup will be.

Chicago Bulls (14-15) at San Antonio Spurs (24-6) (5:00 PM EST on ABC): The San Antonio Spurs, led by Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Pau Gasol are all playing fantastic basketball right now, putting tons of pressure on the Golden State Warriors. As for the Chicago Bulls, they are a sub .500 team that is making me look like a fool for picking them to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

In my book, this game is all about the Bulls. The Spurs we know are a contender and will be there late in the season come playoff time. But the Chicago Bulls we are yet to be convinced of as a serious contending team. If Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo are looking for an opportunity to jump start the Bulls' season, Christmas Day against the Spurs isn't a bad place to start. If the Bulls can find a way to get this win, this could be the beginning of something very good.  

Minnesota Timberwolves (9-20) at Oklahoma City Thunder (18-12) (8:00 PM EST on ESPN): In my opinion it's somewhat of a puzzle of as to why this game was scheduled for Christmas Day. On the one hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA to watch and the Oklahoma City Thunder likewise play a very exciting brand of basketball. On the other hand, the Thunder are a much more mature and seasoned team while the Timberwolves are still young and figuring it all out. In other words, the Thunder should blow the doors off the Timberwolves, not making for a very exciting game.

While the game itself may not be very close, what will be fun is to watch Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn of the Timberwolves throw alley-oops to each other and throw down nasty dunks in transition while Russell Westbrook plays like a human video game, getting another triple-double.

If you are looking for lots of dunks and possible Sports Center Top Ten moments, this game might be the best game to watch on Christmas Day. But, if you are looking for a competitive game that is close in the 4th quarter, this game is probably the last game you'd want to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers (22-9) at Los Angeles Lakers (11-22) (10:30 PM EST on ESPN): I always find Clippers-Lakers games to be fun since I find it strangely entertaining to watch two teams from the same city face each other. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated by inner-city rivalries in sports. It's like when I was a little kid, my brother and I used to go to the local amusement park just to watch the roller coasters. I don't know why we found it so enthralling, but we did nonetheless.

Anyways, aside from this being the "Battle of Los Angeles", this game ought to be a snoozer. The only thing that could make this game close is that Blake Griffin is out multiple weeks after undergoing right knee surgery, so his absence gives the Lakers a flicker of hope to win. Still, even with Griffin out, the Clippers still have Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, and DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers are still the vastly superior team and should win rather easily.

If you haven't yet watched Brandon Ingram, the Lakers' first round pick (#2 overall), play this season, then that will be an added bonus for you. Brandon Ingram has tons of upside and so watching him play in his first Christmas Day game in the NBA could be kind of fun. Plus, D'Angelo Russell is making strides, averaging 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. So, much like the Thunder-Timberwolves game, if you are interested in watching a competitive basketball game, this is not the game for you to watch. If you are wanting to check in on the future of the Los Angeles Lakers and see young talent on the floor, then this game will be fun for you to watch regardless of the outcome.


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