The Knicks and Lakers almost always find their way onto the slate, which makes sense given the size of the New York and Los Angeles media markets. The teams coming off runs to the NBA Finals typically get a Christmas invite, so hello, Boston and Dallas. The rest is a mix of stars, ratings potential, storylines and, hopefully, good teams.

The NBA's most storied franchises, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, have dominated the league's schedule on Christmas.