LeBron James reflects on playing on Christmas yet again as Lakers get ready for Mavericks

Prior to taking the court for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, LeBron James offered a nostalgic social media post that reflected on his long history of playing on the holiday.

The childhood photo of James reflects an era of his life is which receiving any Christmas gifts made it a memorable holiday, given the often challenging economic conditions he and his mother lived under.

However, since entering the NBA in 2003, James’ presence has become a staple of television viewing. At various times of his now-18 seasons in the league, he’s played on the holiday for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers.

During James’ time with the Cavaliers and Heat, James and his teams faced the Lakers and came away with road victories on multiple occasions.

Now, for the third year in a row, James will lead the Lakers to face an improving Mavericks team, led by young superstar Luka Doncic.

During the game, James won’t have time to focus on the nostalgia of Christmases past, but it’s clear that they remain seared into his memory bank.