Every season, there are a few days on the NBA calendar that stick out more than others. If you’re an avid NBA fan, you already know that Christmas is one of the most important days for the league.
For many, it’s the point of the season when they start watching and the slate of Christmas Day games is always a good way to get oriented with the NBA’s major superpowers. Beyond that, though, it’s a chance for title-contending teams to get a look at some of their biggest competitors before the postseason.
Historically, the league has always tried to schedule the best matchups for Christmas, and they’ve had some great success. But which of the Christmas Day games has been the best of all time so far?
According to LeBron James, the answer is the 2016 Finals rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.
Agree with LeBron James here? Which Christmas day game do you think can beat the 2016 #Warriors vs. #Cavs showdown? pic.twitter.com/WuhreS67lc
— Kit Guinhawa (@BeatKit22) December 25, 2022
LeBron is admittedly biased on this matter, but there is a legitimate case to be made. The game went down to the wire, with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combining to drop 60 points on Cleveland’s head.
Ultimately, though, it was the Cavs who came out on top, securing the 109-108 win thanks to 31 points from LeBron James and a 25-point performance from Kyrie Irving. Of course, the game served as a preview of the 2017 NBA Finals.
Warriors Vs. Cavaliers Is One Of The Greatest Rivalries Ever
For five straight years, the Warriors and Cavs faced off in the NBA Finals with varying results. While it’s true that Steph’s team came out on top more often than not, LeBron always found a way to make it entertaining.
Today, James’ departure means the rivalry is dead… but nobody has forgotten just how intense things used to be for the two teams. Just months before that 2016 game, the Cavs mounted a 3-1 series comeback to win the NBA Finals.
To this day, it’s a moment that often gets talked about in the NBA community. The Cavaliers didn’t just win that series, they came rising back from the dead against a 73-9 Warriors team at the peak of its powers. Even Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who was on the other end of that amazing comeback, can’t help but admit that it was a truly special performance.
“I’ve never seen two guys play at that level for three straight games. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” said Curry no ‘The Old Man & The Three.’ “Bron and Kyrie were just on…I mean we played well, they just played better.”
All things considered, LeBron’s pick of the 2016 Cavs vs. Warriors as the best holiday game ever is pretty solid. Seriously, it had everything you could want in a premier Christmas matchup.
This year, while there are plenty of exciting games, none of them carry the same weight those showdown between LeBron and Curry did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q7iBpClZBs
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