1. LeBron James for possibly the final time on Christmas?
The Los Angeles Lakers are schedule to take on the Golden State Warriors in one of the late games on Christmas Day and while both teams are looking to turn their recent struggles around, there could be an even bigger storyline taking place on this night - it revolves around the very realistic possibility that this could end up being LeBron James' last game on Christmas. Depending on what his future holds, there's no guarantee that we're going to see him featured on one of the NBA's biggest days again.
For a player who has become somewhat of a mainstay on the NBA's Christmas Day slate, LeBron is going to turn 40 years old very soon. Father Time is continuing to close in on one of the best players to ever play in the NBA and it's only natural to begin to think about what could end up being the end of his career. It's probably unlikely that LeBron will end up retiring after this season but with so many uncertainties revolving around the team, nothing is off the table for LeBron or the Lakers.
The Lakers enter this game having lost nine of their last 15 games. After a bright start to the season, there's a real chance reality is beginning to set in for this team. And the reality is that they don't have a talented enough roster to compete with the other championship contenders in the Western Conference. As the NBA Trade Deadline quickly draws near, this is a team that is going to have to make a big decision about its future. If they were to get embarrassed on national television on Christmas Day, you can't help but wonder how much that could end up pushing or swaying this team.
On the other side of the course, the Warriors find themselves in a very similar position. After their own hot start to the season, the Warriors have dropped 10 of their last 13 games. Even after making the move for Dennis Schroder, the Warriors are still trying to find answers as they continue to struggle as a team. A strong performance on Christmas Day against the Lakers could go a long way in feeding this team some much-needed confidence.