LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003. Victor Wembanyama was born 10 days later.

That is proper: James has been featured on the NBA‘s massive day for longer than Wembanyama has been alive. And on Wednesday — when the league celebrates Christmas with video games for the 77th time — the league’s oldest participant and brightest younger star might be massive components of the vacation showcase.

It is one other Christmas quintupleheader, with Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visiting the New York Knicks, Minnesota going to Dallas for a Western Convention finals rematch, Philadelphia heading to Boston to resume a storied rivalry, James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking over Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and Denver taking part in at Phoenix within the nightcap.

“Very excited, after all,” Wembanyama mentioned, the French star previewing his first Christmas sport alternative. “To begin with, spending Christmas in New York, it’s going to be like the flicks, I hope. Get somewhat snow.”

His first Christmas want got here true: Gentle snow fell in Manhattan on Tuesday morning.

James mentioned he is relishing one other likelihood to share the vacation highlight with Curry — somebody he is performed towards on Christmas three earlier occasions.

“Any time you get a possibility to be on the court docket and compete towards one of many best to ever play this sport, you don’t take it with no consideration,” James — who turns 40 subsequent week — mentioned of dealing with his U.S. Olympic teammate. “I do not know what number of extra alternatives we’ll get to go towards one another.”

The Christmas video games have been checked out for many years because the time when extra followers have a tendency to start out watching basketball. The NFL — which goes head-to-head towards the NBA on Wednesday — is seeing its common season winding down, and the 5 NBA video games will all be proven nationally both on ABC or ESPN.

The Spurs-Knicks sport may also have a particular alt-cast starring Mickey Mouse and a few of his buddies, the primary animated presentation of an NBA sport. It’s going to be proven on ESPN2 and stream on Disney+ and ESPN+.

“I want there have been extra of our nice gamers who had an opportunity to play on that stage on Christmas Day,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned. “It has been an attention-grabbing turnaround from actually my earlier days within the league after we obtained a whole lot of complaints about taking part in on Christmas — and now it comes the opposite approach, which is, ‘Why aren’t we taking part in on Christmas?’ I want we may accommodate much more groups.”

Wemby’s debut: Spurs at Knicks, Midday ET

Knicks ahead Josh Hart, like nearly everybody within the basketball world, raves about Wembanyama. The Spurs star is averaging 24.8 factors, 9.9 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, 3.9 assists and three.3 3-pointers per sport.

“He is an incredible participant, man,” Hart mentioned. “He does issues offensively, defensively that nobody that is 7-whatever-the-heck-he-is needs to be doing. He is the way forward for the league.”

For the report, Wembanyama is formally just below 7-foot-4.

The Knicks are taking part in their 57th Christmas sport, extending their NBA report. The primary Christmas sport in league historical past was at Madison Sq. Backyard in 1947.

“Been lucky to play on Christmas a whole lot of days,” Spurs guard Chris Paul mentioned. “I’m excited.”

West rematch: Timberwolves at Mavericks, 2:30 p.m. ET

Sport time is 1:30 p.m. in Dallas, and which means it’s going to be 8:30 p.m. in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Prime time, Christmas night time in Luka Doncic’s homeland.

The Mavericks star could not be happier how that labored out.

“It’s particular,” mentioned Doncic, who had a 50-point sport on Christmas final 12 months. “You’ve gotten lots of people from Europe wish to watch the NBA. … It’s an enormous factor. It’s going to be a particular sport.”

Dallas beat Minnesota 4-1 in final 12 months’s West finals.

For Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, that is season No. 18 — and his second Christmas sport.

“It was 14 years earlier than I obtained to play on it in Utah,” Conley mentioned. “I seemed ahead to the chance. Not many individuals get the chance to play. When individuals are celebrating the vacations, they activate the TV and are watching the NBA.”

The rivalry renewed: 76ers at Celtics, 5 p.m. ET

No groups have confronted off towards each other extra in NBA historical past than defending champion Boston and Philadelphia. Similar goes for Christmas rivalries: It’s going to be Celtics-76ers for the 14th time on Dec. 25, by far probably the most within the league.

Celtics guard Jrue Vacation says it’s robust to interrupt household time on Christmas — but in addition mentioned it’s enjoyable that his youngsters can watch their father play that day.

“It is an honor to have the ability to play on Christmas Day,” Vacation mentioned. “I do know I used to be one of many children that couldn’t await Christmas video games to come back on. So, it’s at all times an honor.”

LeBron vs. Steph: Lakers at Warriors, 8 p.m. ET

Curry and James have met on Christmas in 2015, 2016 and 2018, all instantly following seasons that ended with Cleveland vs. Golden State matchups within the NBA Finals.

Lakers coach JJ Redick performed on Christmas 11 occasions in his profession. The importance of seeing one other Steph vs. LeBron matchup on the vacation is not misplaced on him.

“I believe it was nice to have two of the icons of this technology go head-to-head and have one, for certain, traditional sequence after which simply additionally some traditional video games and traditional moments,” Redick mentioned. “For these guys additionally being teammates on the Olympic stage, they simply have the last word respect for one another.”

James will get one other likelihood to develop into the NBA’s all-time Christmas win chief: He is performed in 10 wins on Dec. 25, tying former teammate Dwyane Wade’s vacation report. That is James’ nineteenth Christmas sport; Wade performed in 13.

Curry, if he begins, would be the seventh individual in NBA historical past with not less than 11 begins on Dec. 25, becoming a member of James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Wade, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

“Christmas spirit hopefully can convey some items our approach with a win,” Curry mentioned.

The finale: Nuggets at Suns, 10:30 p.m. ET

Durant will play on Christmas for the twelfth time, and solely James, Bryant and Oscar Robertson have extra factors on Dec. 25 than he does.

It is a rematch of a 117-90 win by Denver on Monday night time.

“Trying ahead to this subsequent sport,” Durant mentioned.

The Nuggets know the Suns will wish to avenge shedding by 27, plus that the vacation brings out the very best in gamers.

“Hopefully we are able to go into their spot on Christmas and get one other win,” Nuggets ahead Michael Porter Jr. mentioned. “However I’m certain it’ll be a more durable sport.”

___

AP Sports activities Writers Janie McCauley and Greg Beacham, and Related Press Writers Dick Scanlon, Aaron Bracy, Invoice Trocchi, Pat Pickens, Jeff Miller and Michael Kelly contributed to this story.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA