NBA Christmas Day Single-Game Records

Since the NBA's first Christmas Day games in 1947, December 25 has become one of the most celebrated dates on the basketball calendar. Some of the greatest players in league history have delivered extraordinary performances during the holiday, setting records that have endured for decades.

Bernard King's 60-point game in 1984 remains one of the most famous individual performances in Christmas history. Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson also established remarkable scoring, rebounding and passing marks during the league's early decades.

The following tables preserve NBAHoopsOnline's historical Christmas Day single-game records in three categories: points, rebounds and assists. The franchise names reflect the teams' identities at the time of each performance.

These tables preserve the original historical record listings. They are not presented as a newly verified, comprehensive ranking through the 2025 Christmas Day games.

Bernard King holds the NBA Christmas Day single-game scoring record with 60 points for the New York Knicks against the New Jersey Nets on December 25, 1984. His performance surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's 59-point game against the Knicks in 1961.

Chamberlain's 59 points came in a double-overtime contest at Madison Square Garden. Rick Barry, Jerry West and Tracy McGrady also produced memorable high-scoring performances during the holiday.

Wilt Chamberlain holds the Christmas Day single-game rebounding record with 36 rebounds against the New York Knicks in 1961. Chamberlain accomplished the feat in the same double-overtime game in which he scored 59 points.

Bill Russell appears three times in the original rebounding records table, illustrating the dominance of the Boston Celtics center during the late 1950s and 1960s.

Russell collected 34 rebounds against Baltimore in 1965, 33 against New York in 1958 and 31 against Detroit in 1964. Chamberlain also recorded 34 rebounds against Syracuse in 1959.

The Christmas Day single-game assist record is shared by Nate Archibald and Guy Rodgers, who each recorded 18 assists.

Rodgers accomplished the feat for the Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks in 1966. Archibald matched the record in 1972 while playing for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Oscar Robertson also appears twice among the leading assist performances, recording 17 assists against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1961 and 16 against the San Francisco Warriors in 1965.

Archibald added another 16-assist performance in 1975, this time as a member of the Kansas City Kings against the Phoenix Suns.

Bernard King's 60-Point Christmas — 1984: King produced one of the greatest individual scoring performances in NBA regular-season history when he scored 60 points against the New Jersey Nets. Despite his effort, the Knicks lost 120-114 at Madison Square Garden. The performance remains the defining Christmas Day scoring achievement.

Wilt Chamberlain's Double Record — 1961: Chamberlain scored 59 points and collected 36 rebounds against the New York Knicks in a double-overtime game. His rebounding total established the Christmas Day single-game record, while his scoring total stood as the holiday record until Bernard King's performance in 1984.

Rick Barry's 50-Point Performance — 1966: Barry scored 50 points for the San Francisco Warriors against the Cincinnati Royals. The game helped establish Barry as one of the NBA's most prolific scorers during his early professional career.

Bill Russell's Rebounding Dominance: Russell appears three times in the original top-five rebounding list, demonstrating his remarkable consistency on the boards. His performances were part of an era in which the Celtics dominated the NBA and frequently appeared in prominent holiday matchups.

Oscar Robertson's Passing Ability: Robertson recorded two of the original archive's five highest assist totals. His combination of scoring, rebounding and playmaking made him one of the most complete guards in NBA history.

Nate Archibald and Guy Rodgers: Archibald and Rodgers share the Christmas Day assist record with 18. Both were outstanding playmakers whose performances remain part of the holiday's statistical history.

Christmas Day games occupy a special place in NBA history because the league traditionally schedules prominent teams and star players for the holiday. A standout performance on December 25 often receives more national attention than a similar game played on an ordinary regular-season date.

Some of the records listed above were established in an era when the NBA played at a much faster pace and teams regularly attempted more shots than they do in many modern seasons. High rebound totals were particularly common during the 1950s and 1960s because of the number of missed field goals and available rebounding opportunities.

The scoring, rebounding and assist performances in these tables also illustrate the different styles of NBA basketball across generations. From Chamberlain and Russell dominating the paint to Robertson and Archibald directing offenses, Christmas Day has showcased many of the greatest individual talents in basketball history.

NBA Christmas Day Games History — Explore the origins of the holiday tradition, historic matchups, notable performances and Christmas basketball milestones.

NBA Christmas Eve Games — Read about the only two NBA games played on December 24, in 1960 and 1967.

Christmas Day Scoring Records — Return to the highest individual scoring performances.

Christmas Day Rebounding Records — Review the greatest single-game rebounding totals.

Christmas Day Assist Records — Review the greatest single-game assist totals.

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