Past Visits From Jolly Ol' St. Knick

It's a white Christmas at my parents' house in northern New Jersey. It's ice not snow. But it's white. My mom is psyched about this. But, I was dreaming of a blue and orange Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. But instead I've got a green and purple Christmas and I almost broke my neck slipping on all the ice in my parents' driveway.

2008-2009 is the 61st season of the National Basketball Assocation. During that time the league has scheduled games on Christmas day in each season save one (the strike-shortened 1998-1999 campaign), and the Knicks played on Christmas in 38 of the first 40 seasons, and in 45 overall. In fact, the Knicks playing at the Garden on the 25th was about as dependable an occurence as a run on milk and cookies late on the 24th. The New York Knickerbockers tipped off against opponents in New York City on 38 of those 45 games. Although the home team didn't fare exceedingly well in those contests they were overwhelmingly tightly contested games, with 23 of them being decided by 6 points or fewer. And the opponents were generally among the league's best at the time, even when the Knicks were struggling.

The Garden was the marquee venue in the NBA and all eyes were there on Christmas day. For Knicks fans the highlights are the double-overtime victory over the defending champion Celtics in Patrick Ewing's rookie season, Bernard King's 61-point outburst the year before and the 136-135 win over Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia Warriors in 1961. The Knicks tradition of home games on Christmas was broken up when NBC began broadcasting NBA games in 1990. Although they did provide us with a phenomenal theme song they did take away our local tradition, even sending the Knicks on the road for three out of the four games they did schedule for the Knicks on the 25th.

Knicks on Christmas

12/25/1946	No game	n/a
12/25/1947	Providence Steamrollers	89-75
12/25/1948	Chicago Stags	64-70
12/25/1949	No game	n/a
12/25/1950	@ Philadelphia Warriors	86-84
12/25/1951	Fort Wayne Pistons	72-65
12/25/1952	Boston Celtics	80-75
12/25/1953	Syracuse Nationals	89-80
12/25/1954	Syracuse Nationals	109-101
12/25/1955	@ Fort Wayne Pistons	87-92
12/25/1956	St. Louis Hawks	105-107
12/25/1957	@ Syracuse Nationals	130-134
12/25/1958	Boston Celtics	120-129
12/25/1959	Boston Celtics	119-123
12/25/1960	@ Syracuse Nationals	100-162
12/25/1961	Philadelphia Warriors	136-135
12/25/1962	Los Angeles Lakers	126-134
12/25/1963	Los Angeles Lakers	126-134
12/25/1964	Baltimore Bullets	108-114
12/25/1965	St. Louis Hawks	111-131
12/25/1966	Chicago Bulls	133-132
12/25/1967	Boston Celtics	124-134
12/25/1968	Philadelphia 76ers	110-109
12/25/1969	Detroit Pistons	112-111
12/25/1970	Buffalo Braves	115-102
12/25/1971	Golden State Warriors	114-89
12/25/1972	Detroit Pistons	112-111
12/25/1973	Capitol Bullets	100-102
12/25/1974	Philadelphia 76ers	97-104
12/25/1975	Philadelphia 76ers	111-103
12/25/1976	Philadelphia 76ers	104-105
12/25/1977	Philadelphia 76ers	113-110
12/25/1978	Philadelphia 76ers	94-109
12/25/1979	New Jersey Nets	131-102
12/25/1980	Boston Celtics	108-117
12/25/1981	New Jersey Nets	95-96
12/25/1982	New Jersey Nets	110-112
12/25/1983	New Jersey Nets	112-110
12/25/1984	New Jersey Nets	114-120
12/25/1985	Boston Celtics	113-104
12/25/1986	Chicago Bulls	86-85
12/25/1987	Detroit Pistons	87-91
12/25/1988	No game	n/a
12/25/1989	No game	n/a
12/25/1990	No game	n/a
12/25/1991	No game	n/a>
12/25/1992	@ Chicago Bulls	77-89
12/25/1993	No game	n/a
12/25/1994	@ Chicago Bulls	104-107
12/25/1995	No game	n/a
12/25/1996	No game	n/a
12/25/1997	No game	n/a
STRIKE-SHORTENED SEASON
12/25/1999	@ Indiana Pacers	90-101
12/25/2000	No game	n/a
12/25/2001	Toronto Raptors	102-94
12/25/2002	No game	n/a
12/25/2003	No game	n/a
12/25/2004	No game	n/a
12/25/2005	No game	n/a
12/25/2006	No game	n/a
12/25/2007	No game	n/a
12/25/2008	No game	n/a

Christmas 1985


Christmas 1984


Christmas 1992