Who is the all-time NBA Christmas Day scoring leader? LeBron James overtakes Kobe Bryant in 2021
Save for the Finals and maybe All-Star Weekend, there isn’t a stage much bigger than NBA Christmas Day.
In the league’s storied history, the biggest stars have taken the floor numerous times on the holiday. Kobe Bryant’s record of 16 Christmas Day games will soon be matched by LeBron James, who is set to play on Christmas for the 16th time in his 19-year career.
Fittingly, Bryant and James are also the top two all-time scoring leaders in the history of NBA Christmas. As James continues to add to his tally, have a look at the top 10 all-time scoring leaders on Christmas Day, three of whom are still active.
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All-time Christmas Day scoring leaders
Player | PTS | G |
LeBron James | 396 | 16 |
Kobe Bryant | 395 | 16 |
Oscar Robertson | 377 | 12 |
Dwyane Wade | 314 | 13 |
Kevin Durant | 299 | 10 |
Shaquille O’Neal | 272 | 13 |
Russell Westbrook | 241 | 10 |
Dolph Schayes | 239 | 13 |
Walt Bellamy | 237 | 9 |
Richie Guerin | 232 | 9 |
Best Christmas Day scoring performances
LeBron is at the top of the all-time list but it’s a different King that falls atop the list of best single-game Christmas performances.
In one of the more legendary individual performances in the history of the game, Bernard King finished with 60 points in a loss to the Nets in 1984. Nine times out of 10, a list of scoring records includes Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 59 points in a loss to the Knicks in 1961.
As it stands, Rick Barry is the only player to score 50 points on Christmas in a win.
Player | Points | Year | Matchup |
Bernard King | 60 | 1984 | Knicks vs. Nets |
Wilt Chamberlain | 59 | 1961 | Warriors vs. Knicks |
Rick Barry | 50 | 1966 | Warriors vs. Royals |
Jerry West | 47 | 1963 | Lakers vs. Knicks |
Tracy McGrady | 46 | 2002 | Magic vs. Pistons |
Wilt Chamberlain | 45 | 1959 | Warriors vs. Nationals |
Tom Heinsohn | 45 | 1961 | Celtics vs. Nationals |
Dominique Wilkins | 45 | 1987 | Hawks vs. 76ers |
Kevin Durant | 44 | 2010 | Thunder vs. Nuggets |
Jerry West | 44 | 1965 | Lakers vs. Pistons |