Season's greetings from the NBA, who gifted us all with future cheer as LeBron James will make his return to the West Coast for a game against Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.
James spent eight seasons with the Lakers before departing during the offseason as a free agent.
After 24 days, he committed to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, July 24, over teams such as the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
James and the Sixers head west amid a packed NBA Christmas Day schedule. It will be LeBron's 21st Christmas game and comes as the perfect headline for the holiday.
It will be nestled just after the Heat take on the Celtics and will be followed
by the Thunder taking on the Timberwolves. Here is the day's slate of games. All times Eastern.
- San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks, 12 p.m.
- Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m.
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m.
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
- Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m.
LeBron James's final Lakers game
James produced a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds in 40 minutes of play during his last appearance for the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on May 11 in a 115-110 Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luka Doncic did not play in the game due to injury.
After the Western Conference semifinal series, James stated that he needed to think about his future and was unsure of his plan.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James shared on his social media accounts on July 24. “I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game.
“I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA gifts LeBron to LA with Lakers-76ers showdown on Christmas Day
