The NBA’s Christmas Day slate has a storyline unlike anything the league has ever seen: LeBron James and his son Bronny could face each other as opponents for the first time in major American sports history. No father-son matchup has ever happened in the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB, and this potential moment is set against a loaded five-game schedule featuring Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokić, and Stephen Curry. The possibility hinges on Bronny’s role with the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers head coach JJ Redick has supported Bronny’s development throughout the season, and Bronny delivered meaningful minutes during the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets.
Redick also made the historic decision to put LeBron and Bronny on the court together for their NBA debut, showing he has a sense for significant moments. The father-son dynamic already has personal history attached to it. Bronny has said the last time he played LeBron one-on-one at their Miami home, he won the game. LeBron’s reported reaction was to dunk so hard he tore down the rim in frustration.
That driveway rivalry now has a chance to move to an NBA Christmas stage if Bronny gets enough minutes against Philadelphia. The Christmas Day schedule begins with an NBA Finals rematch between the Spurs and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. San Antonio lost that series in five games, but the team believes it should have won all five. Wembanyama scored 40 points against the Knicks in a previous Christmas matchup, and the Spurs are no longer the surprise team—they are now the hunted.
Philadelphia travels to Los Angeles for the game carrying the biggest storyline. LeBron returns to face his former franchise, but the Lakers are no longer his team. They are Luka Dončić’s team, and Christmas gives Dončić a chance to prove the Lakers have built a new era around him. A dominant performance would show that the franchise has moved forward, while a LeBron takeover would raise questions about whether the Lakers truly replaced one era or walked away from another.
Anthony Edwards and Minnesota host Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander enters as the reigning back-to-back MVP, and Oklahoma City has not won on Christmas Day since 2017. LaMelo Ball will make his Christmas Day debut. The final game features Nikola Jokić and Denver against Stephen Curry and Golden State.
Last Christmas, Jokić posted 55 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists, making him the first player in NBA history to produce that stat line in a single game. Curry has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four Christmas games. LeBron will be making his 21st Christmas Day appearance and already holds the record for most points scored on Christmas in NBA history. He will look to add to that total in a Philadelphia uniform.
The debate over the best matchup highlights the strength of the slate. One analyst called the Spurs-Knicks rematch the best option because of the rivalry built during the Finals. Another chose the Los Angeles game, comparing LeBron’s love of chocolate chip cookies to Santa and noting that fans never got to see Santa play one-on-one against one of his elves—but they could see LeBron against Bronny. If Bronny gets meaningful minutes, one possession could change the day.
A screen could be called. LeBron could get switched onto Bronny. Bronny could get a steal and push the ball toward his father. For a single possession, the Christmas slate would stop being about MVP awards, championships, or franchise eras and become a father looking across the court at his son.
The stage is built. The game is scheduled. What remains is one rotation decision, one defensive switch, and one possession that could make Christmas Day belong to LeBron and Bronny forever.
