LeBron James holds the report for essentially the most video games performed on Christmas Day with 18 contests underneath his belt.
This 12 months will probably be his nineteenth because the Los Angeles Lakers sq. off in opposition to the Golden State Warriors in a mouth-watering Xmas day match-up.
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James versus Curry on Christmas Day.
It at all times delivers.
Nonetheless, it will take one thing particular to prime the 2016 Christmas Day recreation between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, which LeBron says is “absolutely the biggest” festive spectacle he is ever been part of.
The heavyweight bout was a rematch of the historic 2016 NBA Finals which noticed LeBron and co. turn out to be the primary workforce in historical past to come back again from a 3-1 deficit within the Finals.
The next season the 2 groups met on the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on Christmas Day 2016 in what was Kevin Durant’s first look within the storied rivalry.
It was by far essentially the most eagerly-anticipated conflict of the season that far because the Warriors began off 27-4 whereas the Cavs went 22-6.
The primetime assembly definitely did not disappoint because the back-and-forth encounter ended with Kyrie Irving dropping a fadeaway jumper over Klay Thompson with 3.4 seconds left to clinch a 109-108 win for the Cavs.
Durant and Thompson mixed for 60 factors whereas James and Kyrie went for 56 because the consequence went all the way down to the wire.
The Cavs trailed 94-80 early within the fourth quarter earlier than rallying down the stretch. Irving scored 14 of Cleveland’s final 25 factors because the Cavs outscored the Warriors 25-13 over the ultimate eight minutes to win the sport.
LeBron had 31 factors and 13 rebounds whereas going 12-of-22 (54.5%) from the sphere.
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Kyrie completed with 25 factors, ten assists, seven steals and 6 boards whereas Kevin Love chipped in with 20 factors because the Cavs handed the Warriors their fifth defeat of the season.
Finally, although, the Warriors had the final snigger as they gained the championship that season by beating the Cavs 4-1 within the Finals.
Kevin Durant was named Finals MVP for the primary time, one thing he replicated a 12 months later.
To this present day many contemplate the Cavs’ come-from-behind victory in 2016 as the very best Christmas Day recreation of the twenty first century.
LeBron James definitely thinks so – in 2022 he shared an Instagram story of himself and Steph Curry from the sport with the phrases “absolutely the biggest” in reference to the competition.
If this 12 months’s matchup between the Lakers and Warriors is half nearly as good as that NBA followers are in for a deal with.
LeBron James, Steph Curry, Christmas Day.
Onerous to ask for rather more.