Skip to main content

As the NBA likes to showcase its top talent on December 25, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of the biggest stars in history top the list of Christmas Day’s all-time leading scorers, a list currently topped by LeBron James.

The future Hall of Famer passed his former Olympic teammate and LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in 2021 during a 39-point effort against the Brooklyn Nets. And seeing as the Lakers are typically featured on the Christmas Day docket, LeBron will continue to add to his record.

However, neither has the highest scoring average on December 25, as that record belongs to another big name, Tracy McGrady.

Tracy McGrady has the highest scoring average with 43.3 points per game in three Christmas Day appearances

Two-time scoring champion Tracy McGrady played 15 seasons in the NBA for six teams.

The seven-time All-Star averaged 19.6 points per game over those 15 seasons but more than doubled that in the three games he played on Christmas Day, averaging an NBA-record 43.3 points per game in three appearances, all of which came while he was with the Orlando Magic.

His 46-point effort in 2002 in a win over the Detroit Pistons stands as the fifth-highest single-game total on December 25.

  • 2000: IND-103, ORL-93 — 43 points (13-31 FG, 2-4 3P, 15-19 FT)
  • 2002: ORL-104, DET-99 — 46 points (14-26 FG, 0-3 3P, 18-21 FT)
  • 2003: ORL-113, CLE-101 — 41 points (15-29 FG, 5-9 3P, 6-9 FT)

LeBron James has scored 460 points in 17 games on December 25

As for LeBron James, he’s played a record 17 games on Christmas Day with the Cavs, Heat, and Lakers and has racked up 460 points, giving him a 27.1 average.

As mentioned, he became the all-time NBA points leader on December 25, 2021, when he scored his 396th during a 39-point effort against the Brooklyn Nets.

  • 2003: ORL-113, CLE-101 — 34 points (13-28 FG, 4-10 3P, 4-5 FT)
  • 2007: CLE-96, MIA-82 — 25 points (9-19 FG, 0-3 3P, 7-11 FT)
  • 2008: CLE-93, WSH-89 — 18 points (6-13 FG, 0-2 3P, 6-10 FT)
  • 2009: CLE-102, LAL-87 — 26 points (9-19 FG, 2-7 3P, 6-11 FT)
  • 2010: MIA-96, LAL-80 — 27 points (8-14 FG, 5-6 3P, 6-6 FT)
  • 2011: MIA-105, DAL-94 — 37 points (11-19 FG, 0-0 3P, 15-19 FT)
  • 2012: MIA-103, OKC-97 — 29 points (12-20 FG, 0-3 3P, 5-5 FT)
  • 2013: MIA-101, LAL-95 — 19 points (7-14 FG, 0-4 3P, 5-9 FT)
  • 2014: MIA-101, CLE-91 — 30 points (9-16 FG, 2-8 3P, 10-18 FT)
  • 2015: GS-89, CLE-83 — 25 points (10-26 FG, 1-5 3P, 4-9 FT)
  • 2016: CLE-109, GS-108 — 31 points (12-22 FG, 4-8 3P, 3-7 FT)
  • 2017: GS-99, CLE-92 — 20 points (7-18 FG, 2-7 3P, 4-7 FT)
  • 2018: LAL-127, GS-101 — 17 points (6-11 FG, 0-2 3P, 5-8 FT)
  • 2019: LAC-111, LAL-106 — 23 points (9-24 FG, 2-12 3P, 3-4 FT)
  • 2020: LAL-138, DAL-115 — 22 points (8-18 FG, 3-8 3P, 3-4 FT)
  • 2021: BKN-122, LAL-115 — 39 points (14-25 FG, 3-9 3P, 8-9 FT)
  • 2022: DAL-124, LAL-115 — 38 points (13-23 FG, 0-4 3P, 12-12 FT)

Kobe Bryant scored 395 points in 16 Christmas Day games

Kobe Bryant played 16 games on Christmas Day throughout his career and scored 395 points for an average of 24.7 points per game, an average that’s a little skewed given the fact that he only played five minutes in his first December 25 outing, which took place during his rookie season in 1996.

  • 1996: LAL-108, PHX-87 — 0 points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3P, 0-0 FT)
  • 1999: LAL-99, SA-93 — 18 points (7-19 FG, 0-1 3P, 4-5 FT)
  • 2000: POR-109, LAL-104 — 29 points (9-20 FG, 0-4 3P, 11-14 FT)
  • 2001: LAL-88, PHI-82 — 12 points (6-19 FG, 0-2 3P, 0-0 FT)
  • 2002: SAC-105, LAL-99 — 27 points (7-24 FG, 1-4, 12-15 FT)
  • 2003: HOU-99, LAL-87 — 23 points (9-26 FG, 1-2 3P, 4-6 FT)
  • 2004: MIA-104, LAL-102 — 42 points (12-30 FG, 5-13 3P, 13-13 FT)
  • 2005: MIA-97, LAL-92 — 37 points (12-30 FG, 0-8 3P, 13-19 FT)
  • 2006: MIA-101, LAL-85 — 16 points (4-17 FG, 0-4 3P, 8-9 FT)
  • 2007: LAL-122, PHX-115 — 38 points (12-20 FG, 1-3 3P, 13-14 FT)
  • 2008: LAL-92, BOS-83 — 27 points (13-23 FG, 1-3 3P, 0-0 FT)
  • 2009: CLE-102, LAL-87 — 35 points (11-33 FG, 1-3 3P, 12-12 FT)
  • 2010: MIA-96, LAL-80 — 17 points (6-16 FG, 1-3 3P, 4-5 FT)
  • 2011: CHI-88, LAL-87 — 28 points (11-23 FG, 0-1 3P, 6-7 FT)
  • 2012: LAL-100, NY-94 — 34 points (14-24 FG, 1-5 3P, 5-7 FT)
  • 2015: LAC-94, LAL-84 — 12 points (4-10 FG, 3-5 3P, 1-4 FT)

Have thoughts on this topic? Keep the conversation rolling in our comments section below.

Related

LeBron James Thought His Lakers Teammates Were Joking When They Told Him About Kobe Bryant’s Death

Best in NBA
Avatar photo
Senior Writer, Programmer

Luke Norris

Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting.

Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes.

In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke’s work has appeared on  The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.