SAN FRANCISCO — After becoming the NBA’s all-time leader in Christmas Day victories — earning his 11th in his 19th appearance in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors — LeBron James was asked what still makes the league special in today’s sports landscape.
“LeBron and Steph [Curry],” James said with a smile.
Indeed, nearly a decade after the pair met for the first of four straight showdowns in the NBA Finals, and less than a week before James’ 40th birthday, the duo looked as dominant as ever Wednesday.
James led L.A. with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting and tallied 10 assists with only one turnover.
Curry scored 17 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter, tying the score with a 31-foot 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left after Golden State had trailed by as many as 10 in the final period.
James’ performance was needed for L.A. after Lakers big man Anthony Davis sprained his left ankle with 6:49 left in the first quarter when his sneaker got caught on the court as L.A. was finishing a defensive possession, causing him to fall to the floor and wince in pain as he grabbed his left leg.
Davis exited the game and did not return. Afterward, Davis told ESPN, “I’ll be OK. I’m playing against Sac on Saturday” when L.A. hosts the Sacramento Kings. Davis’ status is officially day-to-day, but he was able to walk on the ankle without the aid of crutches or extra support, sources told ESPN.
Despite Davis’ exit, Lakers-Warriors was a continuation of a strong slate of Christmas games featuring 41 points by Mikal Bridges to lift the New York Knicks past the San Antonio Spurs, who were paced by 42 points and 18 rebounds from second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama; a furious comeback by the Dallas Mavericks that fell short against 23-year-old superstar Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves; and an upset victory by the Philadelphia 76ers over the defending champion Boston Celtics thanks to 60 combined points from Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
And it fueled a parting shot from James when he finished an on-court interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters at the end of the Lakers-Warriors TV broadcast.
“I love the NFL,” James said. “But Christmas is our day.”
The NFL had two games on Christmas — the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 and the Baltimore Ravens beat the Houston Texans 31-2 — even though Wednesday games are rare in the league.
“That’s a good answer,” Curry said when informed about James’ declaration. “Basketball, I’ve been watching it since I woke up this morning. All five games. I’m probably going to watch the second half of the Phoenix-Nuggets game and I know our game stood out so, you feel privileged to be in those types of situations, for sure.”
And after playing a fourth Christmas Day game against the 22-year veteran James, Curry — in his 16th season — sounded wistful.
“It’s always a blast,” Curry said. “Like, the competitive spirit, the history, his greatness. It allows me to just appreciate all that we’ve been through, all the battles back and forth and the fact that in 2024 we’re still doing it. And somehow the games are pretty electric and kind of a must-see TV situation. I love it. … You don’t know how many opportunities you’ll get to do it on this type of stage. So you kind of relish in it.
“That’s why it sucked so much to lose just because these are kind of those moments that matter a little bit more.”
