The Los Angeles Lakers playing on Christmas Day is as much a yuletide tradition as opening presents, spending time with loved ones or volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless.
The NBA long ago turned Christmas Day into a showcase, much as Thanksgiving Day has become a huge holiday for the NFL.
Dec. 25 has seen its share of memorable contests involving the Purple and Gold, and some have involved some of the team’s biggest rivals, not to mention some of its most hyped regular season games of all time.
Take a look into the past at these five highly memorable Christmas Day Lakers games.
2004 - Lakers versus Heat
After the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaquille O’Neal in the summer of 2004 amid a strained relationship with Kobe Bryant, the league scheduled O’Neal’s Miami Heat to take on L.A. on Christmas Day the following December. The hype surrounding the contest was something that hadn’t existed for the teams’ games before.
While the Lakers had a decent but unimpressive 14-11 record going into the contest, Miami was 21-7 and seemingly on its way to an NBA Finals appearance. O’Neal talked a fair amount of trash leading up to the meeting, and some wondered if he might get overly physical or even dirty when Bryant attempted to drive to the basket against him.
The two superstars barely acknowledged each other prior to the opening tap, and the two teams were very competitive throughout. With 2:15 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 91, Bryant drove on O’Neal and drew the big fella’s sixth foul, giving L.A. an immense opportunity as the game went into overtime.
But Bryant’s potential game-winning 3-pointer at the end of overtime was off, and the Heat escaped with a two-point win.
2007 - Lakers versus Suns
Three years later, the Lakers were starting to break out of their spell of mediocrity, and Christmas Day pitted them against the team that had eliminated them in the previous two postseasons: the Phoenix Suns.
Los Angeles was 17-10 heading into the contest, as third-year center Andrew Bynum was emerging into an All-Star caliber player.
The Lakers defeated Steve Nash and company with relative ease, 122-115, and although Bryant had 38 points and seven assists, Bynum was the real star with 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. He was growing into a force before everyone’s eyes.
Just over a month later, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, and they instantly became the NBA’s next great team.
2008 - Lakers versus Celtics
After adding Gasol, the Lakers ripped through the rest of the regular season and the early rounds of the playoffs, only to run into a buzzsaw known as the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics manhandled L.A. in six games, taking the deciding game in Boston, 131-92, which was a torturous experience for the Lakers and their fans.
They went into the next season united by a desire to make things right and get revenge against their ancient rivals. The first step toward that goal was their Christmas Day matchup against Boston.
Both teams were hot going into the contest. The Lakers were 23-5 while the Celtics had a 27-2 record and an incredible 19-game winning streak.
But that winning streak ended that day, as the Lakers treated the home fans at Staples Center to a 92-83 victory.
2018 - Lakers versus Warriors
After missing the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and losing Bryant to retirement in 2016, it looked as if the Lakers mystique was on the mend when LeBron James joined the organization in 2018.
No one expected L.A. to win the NBA championship that season, but it had a solid roster that looked like a legitimate playoff team.
The Lakers took a 19-14 record north to face the two-time defending world champion Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, and they took a surprising 65-50 halftime lead only to lose James to a groin injury in the third quarter.
Golden State made a run with him out to come to within two, but L.A. was able to rebuild its lead and muscle its way to a 127-101 rout.
Afterward, the Lakers’ season came apart at the seams. They suffered a few other key injuries and ended up missing the postseason yet again.
2019 - Lakers versus Clippers
The following year, the Lakers armed themselves with superstar big man Anthony Davis and looked to make a run at their 17th world title.
However, the bulk of the national media picked the Los Angeles Clippers to win it all. They had just acquired Paul George and Kawhi Leonard and boasted depth around both of them.
The Clippers defeated the Lakers on opening night, but James and company won 24 of their next 26 games, setting up their Christmas Day matchup with their crosstown rivals.
The Lakers took a 63-51 halftime lead, but James ended up shooting 9-of-24 and the Clippers claimed a 111-106 win. Patrick Beverley blocked a potential game-tying 3-point attempt with 3.4 seconds remaining.
In the end, the Lakers had the last laugh. They won the NBA championship, while the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead in the second round of the playoffs to the Denver Nuggets.
