Alas, unlike the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, it only seems like the Knicks play every Christmas Day. Only the Los Angeles Lakers (playing their 44th Christmas Day game today), Boston Celtics (playing their 32nd Christmas Day game today) and Detroit Pistons (32 Christmas Day games) have appeared as many as 30 times on Christmas. Twenty-eight of the Knicks’ Christmas appearances have taken place since 1973, the Christmas following the Knicks’ most recent NBA championship. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal opposed each other for the first time as members of the Lakers and Miami Heat, respectively, on Christmas Day 2004, the start of a three-game Christmas Day series between the teams. No bowl games has been played on Christmas Day since 2003—a span in which we’ve all been subjected to Knicks on Christmas Day eight times.

Source: Forbes December 25, 2018 22:52 UTC