There's nothing quite like Christmas Day in the NBA, which has become an annual tradition.
In 2008, the league switched to a five-game slate on Christmas Day, a change that has been in place ever since. The 2008 Christmas Day slate was also significant in that the games were commemorated by each participating team using a special NBA logo featuring a snowflake for the holiday.
In 2012, the league went from a special logo to special Christmas Day uniforms, which were worn by each of the 10 teams in action. The Christmas Day uniform tradition lasted through 2016, which was the last time that teams wore special one-off uniforms on the holiday.
Why don't NBA teams wear Christmas Day jerseys anymore? A significant switch resulted in a new tradition.
WATCH: Follow all five NBA Christmas Day games on Sling TV
Why the NBA no longer has custom uniforms on Christmas Day
The tradition of the NBA's custom uniforms on Christmas ended when Nike became the league's official outfitter during the 2017-18 season.
While Nike never offered an official explanation for the switch, each of the first five NBA Christmas holidays with the Swoosh has put the spotlight on Nike's new uniform designations that were introduced in 2017.
For each of the last six seasons, all 30 NBA teams have had each of the four uniforms: Association (white), Icon (team color), Statement (alternate) and City (region-inspired).
Additionally, select teams have "Classic Edition" uniforms, which are throwbacks implemented to commemorate a significant anniversary or landmark. During the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons, the 16 teams that qualified for the NBA Playoffs the prior year received special "Earned Edition" uniforms.
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During Christmas Day 2022, eight teams wore their "City Edition" uniforms while two teams wore their white "Association Edition" uniforms. Interestingly enough, the two teams that wore their traditional home whites did so on the road, a choice to avoid clashing with the home teams' City threads.
This year's Christmas Day schedule will feature more traditional pairings with four of five home teams wearing their Association white uniforms, the one exception being the Heat, who will wear their red Statement uniforms at home.
Uniform purists can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the Lakers-Celtics matchup will feature LA in white and Boston in green, just like the last time these two teams met on Christmas in 2008. There's an opportunity for a full-circle moment should the league put a snowflake or some type of commemorative logo on these uniforms, just as there was when the tradition began.
Here is a breakdown of each uniform matchup on Christmas Day 2023:
| Game | Visitor | Home |
| Bucks at Knicks | Icon (Green) | Association (White) |
| Warriors at Nuggets | Icon (Blue) | Association (White) |
| Celtics at Lakers | Icon (Green) | Association (White) |
| Heat at 76ers | Association (White) | Statement (Red) |
| Mavericks at Suns | Icon (Blue) | Association (White) |
