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The NFL has done what it can to encroach on the NBA’s claim to Christmas in recent years, but the latter has historically owned the holiday. At least a couple of its teams have been playing on December 25th since the 1940s, and some of them have fared better than others on that particular date.
These are the NBA teams with the best and worst winning percentage on Christmas Day
In 1947, six NBA teams (or, to be more accurate, BAA teams) took part in three games that were played on Christmas during the league’s inaugural season (the Knicks were the only member of that hexad that still exists in the same form).
That marked the start of a tradition that’s still going strong close to eighty years later, as there has been at least one NBA game on the schedule on December 25th with the lone exception of the 1998-98 season, which didn’t get underway until February due to the longest lockout in the history of the league.
The Hornets are the only team that has not played on Christmas, and here’s a look at the franchises that have posted the best and worst records over the decades (for the purpose of this list, I’m only considering teams that have played at least 10 games).
The NBA teams with the best record on Christmas
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Miami Heat: .857
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The Heat lost to the Bulls the first time they played on Christmas in 1997, but they bounced back by winning their next three holiday showdowns before falling to the Cavaliers a decade later.
Miami has not lost since then, as the Heat are riding a nine-game winning streak that’s improved their record to a league-best 12-2.
Portland Trail Blazers: .778
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The Trail Blazers were a Christmas staple in the 1970s and 1980s, but they disappeared from the holiday schedule before reappearing at the start of the millennium.
Portland lost its first game in 1971, but the team rattled off 13 consecutive victories before the streak finally came to an end at the hands of the Mavericks in 2008. They rebounded with a win over the Nuggets the following year, and while they have lost they’re last two contests, they’re still sitting at 14-4.
Washington Wizards: .696
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If you’re curious, the Jazz would take the third spot on this list without the 10-game threshold, as Utah has gone 6-2.
The Wizards (who have played in 23 games if you include the franchise’s stints as the Chicago Packers/Zephyrs and Baltimore/Washington Bullets) aren’t too far behind when it comes to winning percentage, as they’ve gone 16-7 on Christmas since their first game in 1961.
They haven’t played on December 25th since 2017, but they’ll have a chance to extend their winning streak to three games the next time they get the nod.
Sacramento Kings: .621
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No team in the NBA is riding a longer Christmas drought than the Kings, who have not been tapped for a game since 2003.
They’ve only played two games in Sacramento (going 1-1), but their all-time record is a very respectable 18-11 thanks in no small part to their 8-1 performance when they were the Rochester Royals (they went 9-5 under the same moniker in Cincinnati).
The franchise did not have the same kind of luck on Christmas during their time in Kansas City, as they lost all four games during that era.
Chicago Bulls: .619
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The Bulls lost the first three games they played on Christmas after getting in on the action for the first time in 1966, and they were 2-4 before they turned things around in a big way after Michael Jordan arrived in Chicago.
His Airness was a major reason the Bulls played in seven Christmas games in the span of seven seasons starting in 1990, and he was also a major reason they earned a victory in every single one of those contests (they managed to win without him during his baseball hiatus in 1993).
They’ve gone 4-3 since then and are currently sitting at 13-8 overall.
Phoenix Suns: .591
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We’ll close out the list of the best Christmas teams with the Suns, who are the third squad with a heat-related name that has done pretty well for themselves on a holiday that takes place just after the official start of winter.
Phoenix played on Christmas for the first time in 1968, and while they lost their first game, they got a win the following year to kick off a nine-game winning streak. They’ve been fairly hit or miss since then and currently sit at 13-9.
The NBA teams with the worst record on Christmas
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Oklahoma City Thunder: 6-14
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The SuperSonics are largely responsible for this record, as the franchise lost every single one of the 11 games it played on Christmas during its time in Seattle.
Things have been trending in the right direction since then, as the Thunder are 6-3 and will have the chance to improve on their 6-14 record against the Spurs in 2025.
Denver Nuggets: 3-7
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The Nuggets will also have the chance to improve on what is tied for the worst Christmas record in the NBA when they face off against the Timberwolves.
They just barely qualify for this list with the 3-7 record they’ve posted since playing for the first time in 1949. The bulk of their appearances have come since 2009, a run that Denver began with a five-game losing streak while going 2-6.
Detroit Pistons: .313
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The Pistons have a Christmas history stretching back to their time in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and they got off to a rough start by losing their first four games.
They were 3-6 by the time they arrived in Detroit, but the Motor City hasn’t been much kinder to a franchise that is currently 10-22 on December 25th.
San Antonio Spurs: .416
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The Spurs have been pretty close to average with the 5-7 record they’ve posted on Christmas, but it’s still bad enough to earn a spot in the basement. As I mentioned above, they’ll also get the chance to climb out of it against OKC.
Hawks: .429
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The Hawks had their first (and only) Christmas win as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1950, and they lost the three games they played during their time in Milwaukee.
The franchise got off to a hot start after moving to St. Louis, but a three-game winning streak gave way to a three-game skid before they got one more win prior to setting up shop in Atlanta.
The Hawks have gone 4-6 since then, but haven’t had many chances to change things in close to five decades; they most recently played on Christmas in 2021, which was the first time they were a part of the festivities since 1989.
New York Knicks: .439
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No team has played on Christmas more frequently than the Knicks (the Lakers take the silver medal), but it hasn’t exactly worked out for them when you consider they’ve gone 25-32 while playing around 70% of the time.