NBA: Ranking the Christmas Day games by entertainment value

5. Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics

Since July 2019 the NBA world has waited for the debut of the latest superstar pairing, with former champions Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant coming together to chart their own path. The Brooklyn Nets had to wait a season for Durant to recover from the Achilles tear he suffered in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, but he is cleared to return for the start of the season.

Their yuletide opponents have plenty of star power themselves, with the Boston Celtics growing their core through the draft rather than free agency. Jayson Tatum is a rising two-way star, and Jaylen Brown is a perfect modern fit on the wing. As a preview to fighting over the drumstick at dinner, Marcus Smart is sure to hit the deck fighting over a loose ball with someone.

This will be an important start to the season for the Celtics. They lost Gordon Hayward in free agency to the Charlotte Hornets, and it was recently revealed that All-Star point guard Kemba Walker will miss the start of the season recovering from a knee operation. With backup point guard Brad Wanamaker leaving in free agency, there is pressure on the Celtics to perform early on.

This game should feature plenty of juicy matchups, from Tatum vs Durant to the scrappy Smart against the scrappy Joe Harris. New Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash will vie for the position of trendy young coach across from the former holder of the title Brad Stevens.

The most dramatic twist will come if the whispers of a rumor about the Nets trading for James Harden come to pass. To see Harden join with Durant and Irving may take a peek into Christmas future, but there’s an outside possibility it happens in time for this holiday season. Either way, both of these teams will be striving to prove themselves the best team in the Eastern Conference.