Kevin Durant scores 25 to lead Houston over the Lakers and LeBron James, who had 18 points but still made some plays that only he can.

LeBron James has played in and won more Christmas Day games than any other player in NBA history. Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.

LeBron James playing on Christmas has become a Christmas tradition. It’s almost become just as much a part of the holiday as opening presents wrapped under the

Christmas Day in the NBA is supposed to be about marquee matchups, cozy jerseys, and the annual reminder that basketball never really takes a holiday. While most fans were still debating leftovers or sneaking a second dessert,

LeBron James’ twentieth Christmas Day game ended in a disaster. The Houston Rockets walked into Crypto.com Arena and destroyed the Lakers. A 96-119 result at the end of the matchup.

James and Durant, after all these years, are still at an All-Star level and are still capable of pulling off amazing feats on the court.

A hundred and some points behind James is the late Kobe Bryant, who scored 395 points on Dec. 25 games by the end of his NBA career. Bryant is also firmly in the games played leaderboards with 16 holiday classics. His highlight was a 2004 42-point game against the Heat that culminated in a 104-102 overtime loss.

Savannah James' Instagram posts balance family, work and community. They give fans small, grounded moments, a game with Zhuri, a proud parent moment at a game or a note about a charity event. That steady presence makes her a clear partner in LeBron’s life and career.

“The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA. “We used to have this day to ourselves, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now. Christmas is an NBA day.”