Report: Lakers to play Warriors on Christmas Day in 2024-25 season
The Lakers will reportedly travel on Christmas Day in the 2024-25 season as appear set to play the Warriors in San Francisco.
On the same day that LeBron James and Steph Curry were at the center of a memorable Team USA win over Serbia, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported their two NBA teams could be set for a big clash.
Unsurprisingly, Steph and LeBron will be part of the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule in the upcoming 2024-25 season. And for the second time in the LeBron/Laker era, he will play Curry in San Francisco.
NBA Christmas Day games for the 2024-25 season, per sources:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 9, 2024
Spurs at Knicks
Timberwolves at Mavericks
76ers at Celtics
Lakers at Warriors
Nuggets at Suns
If the order of the games is an indication of when the games will be played, then the Lakers and Warriors will be a primetime showdown that will likely do huge numbers, as LeBron-Curry matchups always do.
That isn’t to say this isn’t a loaded slate of games. Victor Wembanyama playing on a Christmas game seems like an easy decision. The Wolves and Mavericks in a Western Conference Finals rematch is great while the Sixers and Celtics are shaping up to be two of the top teams in the East. And wrapping up with a Nuggets-Suns game that has produced exciting results in recent seasons is a great nightcap.
Last season, the Lakers were walloped by the Celtics on Christmas Day at home. Golden State, meanwhile, lost to the Nuggets.
These two sides met in 2018-19 on Christmas in a Warriors home game that might be remembered for a number of reasons. For one, the Lakers blew out the Warriors and won big. However, it’s probably more remembered as the game LeBron suffered a groin injury that effectively ruined the season.
Since that game, the Lakers have only won once on Christmas, that coming in the 2020-21 season when they won big over the Mavericks. They’ve lost each of the three games since then against the Nets, Mavericks and Celtics.
Last season, the Lakers and Warriors played one of the games of the season, a double overtime win for the purple and gold that featured two incredible performances from Curry and LeBron...and one insane shot from D’Angelo Russell.
This is the first game revealed for the 2024-25 season, which will serve as JJ Redick’s first as head coach and, likely, one of LeBron’s final seasons of his career.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.