"He's the best, straight up": LeBron James shows love to son Bronny James as his 2023 Christmas Eve's highlight

LeBron James and Christmas have nearly become synonymous, given that he is poised to participate in his 18th Christmas Day game. Throughout his career, James has accumulated a 10-7 record on games played on Dec. 25.

This Christmas, LeBron James said the best gift has been the return of his son, Bronny James, to the basketball court following a cardiac arrest.

“He's the best. Straight up,” LeBron James said postgame.

Bronny finally took the court for his much-anticipated first game with the USC Trojans on Dec. 10, playing off the bench and logging 16 minutes in an 84-79 overtime loss to Long Beach State. He had four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one highlight chasedown block.

The King also contemplated the significance of Christmas in both his role as an athlete and a family-oriented individual.

“It's always special but, more important is it’s a day for being around family, being an opportunity for myself to be a giver, you know, and give to my loved ones and the individuals who have supported me throughout my journey,” he said.

LeBron James, who will turn 39 on Dec. 30, had a 40-point outing in the Lakers’ last game before Christmas. They tallied a 129-120 road victory over the OKC Thunder, which was only their second win in six games after the In-Season Tournament final.

The Lakers have now improved to 16-14 on the season, good for ninth in the Western Conference.

They will face a rival franchise in the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day.

LeBron James is 2-3 with the Lakers on Christmas Day games

LeBron James boasted an 8-4 record in Christmas Day games before becoming a part of the LA Lakers. Since joining the Lakers in 2018, he has had a 2-3 record.

In the games on the last two Christmases, LeBron's teams suffered losses. In 2021, facing the Brooklyn Nets, he delivered an outstanding performance with 39 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The trend persisted in 2022 against the Dallas Mavericks, where he scored 38 points, secured six rebounds and distributed five assists, despite the team falling short in both contests.

He secured his first victory in a Lakers Christmas Day game by contributing 17 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Golden State Warriors in 2018. In 2020, he delivered another notable performance with 22 points and 10 assists in a win against the Mavericks. In between those victories was a loss against the Clippers, during which he recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

He has a chance to even out his Lakers' Christmas Day record against the league-leading Boston Celtics, who boast a 22-6 record.