The NBA on Christmas Day is a tradition like no other and one of the biggest days on the NBA calendar.
When the league switched to a five-game Christmas slate in 2008, it began commemorating the holiday on team's uniforms by using a snowflake NBA logo.
On Christmas Day 2012, the league introduced Christmas Day uniforms for the 10 teams in action, a tradition that lasted for five seasons until Nike took over as the NBA's official outfitter ahead of the 2017-18 season.
While the days of the Christmas Day uniform are no more, each of the teams slated to play on Christmas Day in 2021 have made specific sartorial choices for the holiday, with eight of the 10 teams in action opting to go with their "City Edition" uniforms.
Thanks to NBA.com's LockerVision, we've got an advanced look at the head-to-head uniform matchups for all five Christmas Day games.
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Hawks (City) vs. Knicks (City)
- The Hawks' "404 Forever" City uniform pays homage to the city of Atlanta while incorporating elements of uniforms from various eras of Hawks history
- New York's City Edition uniform is a twist on the team's look from the late 90s, opting for a black base and orange accents. The Madison Square Garden logo is present on the shorts.
Celtics (City) vs. Bucks (City)
- As one of the league's charter franchises, Boston's City Edition uniform has a look inspired by the early years of the NBA. The shorts honor Red Auerbach and feature the team's 75th anniversary logo.
- Multiple eras of Bucks basketball are represented on the team's City Edition uniforms, including the Irish Rainbow on the side panels, which throw things back to the 1980s. The antler logo on the shorts brings things back to the Ray Allen era and the number font brings things to modern times.
Warriors (Association) vs. Suns (City)
- Because Golden State's City Edition uniform is black, it will opt for its white Association uniform, a style first introduced in the 2010-11 season.
- The Suns are one of two teams that did not incorporate retro elements in their City Edition uniforms, instead bringing back their City Edition uniforms from the 2020-21 season. A nod to "The Valley of the Sun," the Suns wore these vibrant black uniforms in each of their home playoff games in 2021.
Nets (City) vs. Lakers (Association)
- The Nets' City Edition uniforms pay tribute to each stop the franchise has made on its way to Brooklyn. From the early 90s wordmark to the argyle print from the Jason Kidd era, each element works together well.
- Tradition reigns supreme for the Lakers, who will wear their white Association uniforms. Since the 2001-02 season, white uniforms have been the choice for the Lakers on Sundays and holidays, with special edition Christmas uniforms coming in white as well.
Mavericks (City) vs. Jazz (City)
- The Mavericks' City Edition uniforms bring things back to the early days of the team's identity, using heavy themes of green and incorporating the hat logo on the Dallas wordmark.
- Like the Suns, the Jazz are bringing back their City Edition uniform from the 2020-21 season, which are a "Dark Mode" take on the redrock-inspired uniforms that first debuted during the 2017-18 season.
