This week’s announcement that the Sixers will be featured in the NBA’s Christmas schedule for the 2026-27 should come as no surprise. It was to be expected even before the acquisition of LeBron James as the Jaylen Brown trade was likely the second-biggest transaction in the NBA’s offseason behind only James signing in Philadelphia.
Not that getting selected to play on the biggest day on the league’s regular season calendar guarantees you anything, but we wanted to take this time to look back and remind
fans of just how popular of a pick the Sixers have been for the Dec. 25 slate. Here are all the games Philadelphia has played in on Christmas Day since Joel Embiid was drafted in 2014:
2024 – Sixers @ Celtics
Final score: 118-114, Sixers
2023 – Sixers @ Heat
Final score: 119-113, Heat
2022 – Sixers @ Knicks
Final score: 119-112, Sixers
2019 – Bucks @ Sixers
Final score: 121-109, Sixers
2018 – Sixers @ Celtics
Final score: 121-114, Celtics (OT)
2017 – Sixers @ Knicks
Final score: 105-98, Sixers
Playing Boston twice and New York two times in this slew of six games over the last decade on Christmas should come as no surprise to Sixers fans. This season in Los Angeles against the Lakers, Philadelphia will play its first Christmas Day game against a Western Conference opponent since 2001. The opponent on Christmas Day a quarter century ago? Yeah, that was also the Lakers as the Sixers made the trip across the country for an NBA Finals rematch.
Of course, James joining the Sixers after playing for the Lakers for the last eight seasons is the driving force behind the matchup that will be in the marquee broadcast window for The Association on Christmas Day as well with tipoff set for 5 p.m. ET.
While this is not meant to relitigate “The Process” although that’s always fun, it is worth noting that after the 2001 Finals rematch in L.A., the Sixers did not start getting these Christmas Day games until Embiid was healthy and playing 50+ games per season which started in the 2017-18 campaign. Obviously the goal of “The Process” wasn’t to get scheduled on Christmas Day, but there is no doubt that Philadelphia has been a more desired team for the league to feature on such an important day in the regular season.
We all know by now that the NFL has decided to play on Christmas as well and the TV ratings blow the NBA’s ratings out of the water. Fortunately, for Philadelphia sports fans, the Eagles are the Christmas Eve game this season which gives the Sixers the full attention locally on Christmas Day. Regardless of what else there is to offer on Dec. 25, the NBA continues to prioritize the Sixers as one of the best teams they have to offer on a day they have no choice but to schedule its best teams and/or its biggest markets. Merry Christmas four months early, Sixers fans!
