These are special dates, especially for NBA fans who find the day of December 25 an ideal time to enjoy the best possible games.
The history of Spanish basketball has been linked to the NBA for some years now and with him the matches of such a special evening.
in this 2022 Sandy Aldama will be released on Christmas Day, while SErge Ibaka He will experience his eighth game.
It’s time to dig into history to find out what the national players’ history is on XMas Day, how it went and how many have played.
Pau Gasol
- Races:9
- averages: 16 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists
Pau Gasol holds the honor of being the player who has played the most games on Christmas Day with 9. All of them are divided into three groups: Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.
The Spaniard started quite late in this tradition, having to wait to reach the Lakers after 8 seasons to play a game on December 25th. This game would be against the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in a game the Lakers would win. 83 to 92 and where Pau was the second scorer behind Kobe Bryant. That night he would go up to 20 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
A curious fact about Pau’s career joining his own Christmas Day happened in 2011. At the end of the lockout, it was decided that the season would begin on Christmas Day, with a day where the main ring contenders would face each other, including the Lakers taking on the Bulls. That night, Pow would have a more or less unremarkable game with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists in an 88-87 loss at Staples Center.
His best game had already occurred with the Chicago Bulls in the 2015-2016 season, in what would be his final All-Star appearance and where he would go until 21 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. A year ago he had scored 23 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists. The last Christmas game would be played in 2016 in a game with the Bulls exactly and Nikola Mirotic where he would finish with 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Rudy Fernandez
- Races: 1
- averages: 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
This would be their first and last appearance in the Christmas match, which interestingly would be the first time two Spanish players played at the same time on Christmas Day, being the second players to do so overall. That December 25th, 2010, the Blazers visited the Warriors in a rough start to the season for Portland and it was made more so with a 102-109 loss. There, Rudy contributed 8 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists, ending his NBA Christmas journey.
Serge Ibaka
- Races:7
- averages: 10.85 points and 5.42 rebounds
Serge Ibaka is the second most played Spanish player on Christmas Day, second only to Pau Gasol. The Spanish-Congolese would debut like Rudy in 2010, but against the Nuggets. In that case, Serge had little chance since he was still a rookie, getting 4 points and 6 rebounds in the Thunder’s win.
His best night would come in 2013 against the Knicks, where Ibaka would add 24 points and 3 rebounds on 70% shooting from the fieldand in 2019 with the Raptors he returned on Christmas in a game where the Canadiens could not face the Celtics where he added 12 points and 8 rebounds.
In 2020 he played with the Clippers and they beat Denver in a landslide. In that match he added 15 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in just 21 minutes.
Jose Manuel Calderon
- Races: 3
- averages: 9.5 points, 3 rebounds and 2.5 assists
Calderon’s presence in these kinds of meetings was more telling. In the three teams he had the chance to play for, Knicks, Lakers and Cavs, he only played for the Knicks and Cavaliers, going without a minute in 2016 with the Lakers. In his first appearance in 2014 in New York he would face the Wizards, where throughout In 36 minutes he scored 16 points and dished out 4 assists, his best game of the day.
In 2017, alongside LeBron James, Calderon filled in at point guard for 17 minutes to add 3 points and 1 assist.
Nikola Mirotic
- Races: 3
- averages: 10 points and 6.3 rebounds
Mirotic would play in all three of his career Christmas games combined between 2014 and 2016 before the Bulls project fell apart. In that period, Mirotic especially stood out in the first game against the Lakers without Kobe Bryant where he would reach 13 points and 7 rebounds. in just 13 minutes in a 20-point win at Chicago.
Mirotic would have good performances on those nights, his last coming in 2016 against Pau Gasol’s Spurs where he finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds.
Willy Hernangomez
- Races: 2
- averages: no calculation
Willy Hernangómez didn’t have much luck on those dates, playing two games in which his contribution was a testimony. Willy has only played 3 minutes in match din 2016 against the Celtics where he didn’t manage to get any recordshe sat out in 2017, before going to Charlotte, and again in 2020, when he wasn’t yet part of the Pelicans’ rotation.
Alex Abrins
- Races: 2
- averages: 5 points and 2 rebounds
Otherwise, that of Abrines who in the two opportunities he had between 2016 and 2017, the Spaniard had two very different games. The first would be in 2016 against Ricky’s Wolves where I would score 10 points and grab 2 rebounds in the Thunder’s win.
The next year the same thing would happen with Willy, playing 3 minutes with only time to grab 2 rebounds.
Ricky Rubio
- Races: 2
- averages: 8.5 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists
The Catalan has only played two games to date, one with the Wolves in 2016 and the other in 2018 with the Utah Jazz. In his first appearance on the day he was unable to prevent Minnesota’s loss to OKC despite his 3 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. It’s true that he threw little and badly (1 in 4), but he was positive with his generation.
Meanwhile, in 2018 he was key in the win against the Blazers, leaving memorable images like a great pass to Rudy Gobert. Sumo 14 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds.
Marc Gasol
- Races: 1
- averages: 2 points and 9 rebounds
Marc’s only experience on Christmas Day was in his final season. Then a player of the Lakers, the champions of the previous season had their presence assured on this date. LeBron, Anthony Davis and title. Gasol started in the win against Luka Doncic’s Mavericks. He added 2 points and 9 rebounds.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA or its organizations.
