The NBA considers Christmas one of the most special dates on its calendar, a day designed to captivate fans with marquee matchups and the presence of its biggest stars on the court. In recent years, however, the league has faced increased competition, as the NFL has also scheduled games on that same holiday, intensifying the battle for attention.
For LeBron James, now in his 23rd season in the league, Christmas has long been associated with basketball obligations. He knows that the arrival of Santa Claus often finds him inside his team’s locker room rather than at home. He is not alone in that experience, as his wife, Savannah, and their children have also grown accustomed to spending the holiday around arenas and hotels.
The wife of the ‘King’ has learned how to adapt her household to hotel rooms in cities across the country, accompanying the superstar on Christmas Day. Over the years, Savannah has managed to preserve the holiday spirit wherever they happened to be, ensuring that the essence of Christmas remained intact despite the unusual circumstances.
Savannah James knows how to keep her family in the Christmas spirit
Her children are now older, but Savannah recalled the many logistical maneuvers required when the family traveled during the holidays to attend LeBron’s Christmas games, all while making sure the festive feeling was never lost. Maintaining traditions on the road was not easy, but it became part of their routine.
On her podcast, Everybody’s Crazy, alongside her friend and co host April McDaniels, Savannah openly shared her feelings about how the NBA has often complicated her ability to celebrate Christmas at home.
I’m happy that I mean the NBA has been sucking up my Christmases for a long time. But I’m happy that everybody is home and we get to go to the game to support Bronny and LeBron.
James has played in 19 NBA games on Christmas Day, 18 of them consecutively, and he will do so again in 2025, when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.
Bronny and Bryce James experienced their father’s absence on Christmas while growing up, which may explain why the holiday is not Savannah’s favorite day of the year.
Love Halloween.
She said of her preferred celebration, before adding about Christmas:
Well, I care for the day of Christmas. I’m a spiritual being, so I recognize the sanctity or the like spirituality around Christmas. So I acknowledge that. But it’s just the vibes.
Regarding how the family typically spends Christmas Day and what they eat, Savannah explained:
So we will order Chinese, and that’s what I said, family tradition.”…”We don’t really have much family to be able to do the brunch situation. But okay, the food.
LeBron James would have preferred a different Christmas
According to what Savannah shared, she would have preferred staying home with her husband and children to enjoy the holiday together. LeBron himself echoed that sentiment.
I’d much rather be at home with my family. But I mean, it’s the game. It’s the game that I love. It’s a game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas.
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