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Most Significant Sports History on December 25th
Learn about December 25th's most significant sports history including Shaq's return to LA, Emmitt's TD record, NFL's longest game, and more!
Matt Sayles / AP Photo
December 25th, also known as Christmas Day is one of the most epic days in sports history particularly for specific icons of the game. To begin, Shaq has made this day a home for many of his accolades, accomplishing multiple historic feats on the holiday. Further, Emmit Smith conquered a single-season record that would bolster his argument for the greatest of all time. More events and achievements make Christmas Day one of the most intriguing days of the year in professional sports.
See what happened on this day in: 2020 | 2019
Christmas Day, 2004: @SHAQ makes his grand return to L.A. with the Heat
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) December 25, 2014
HIGHLIGHTS » http://t.co/Xpznza8XVL pic.twitter.com/jTwEe6oT4z
YEAR: 2004 & 2008
SIGNIFICANCE: Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal beat L.A. in his return to Staples Center AND O’Neal reached 5K missed FTs
Uniting in Los Angeles in 1996, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal stymied defenses across the league as they three-peated prior to the “Diesel” being traded to Miami. On the Heat, Shaq linked up with another elite two-guard in sophomore star Dwyane Wade. O’Neal, still in his prime, ran rampant through the league with a league-high field goal rate over the next two years, also winning his fourth championship ring.
But on December 25th of 2004, Shaq paid his former employer — the L.A. Lakers — a visit at the Staples Center to face off against Kobe Bryant and company. 13x All-Star Wade and 18x All-Star Bryant went blow-for-blow with Shaq tagging in to inflict some damage as Miami escaped in OT, 104-102. Bryant pelted the Heat for 42 points, but O’Neal and Wade combined for 53 points to improve their record to 22-7.
Then, exactly four years later, Los Angeles Laker head coach Phil Jackson received the gift of his star pupils — Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol — collaborating for 47 points to help take down Boston. Beating their bitter rival, the Celtics, 92-83 gave Jackson his 1,000th career victory, becoming just the sixth coach to reach the mark. Also, this win made Phil Jackson the fastest coach to achieve 1,000 wins, dethroning Pat Riley’s record.
On the same Christmas Day in 2008, the Suns’ Shaq peppered the rim with seven misses (7-of-16 FT) which brought him to 5,000 career missed free throws. This placed him in an exclusive club alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to miss over 5,000 free throws, despite being two of the more sensational centers to ever hit the hardwood. The human-hulk holds a horrible 52.7% career free throw rate and was the inspiration for the “Hack-a-Shaq” strategy.
December 25, 2008@SHAQ became the second player in #NbaHistory to miss 5,000 free throws joining Wilt Chamberlain pic.twitter.com/iegNuSIjG4
— 🖼️NFT is Life (@NFT_Promoter) December 26, 2015
🏀 Dec. 25, 1995: The Cowboys' Emmitt Smith scores an NFL-record 25th TD for the season, and eventual champ Dallas beats the Cardinals, 37-13 pic.twitter.com/sKfkeY9QHT
— DFWSportsPast (@dfwsportspast) December 26, 2017
YEAR: 1995
SIGNIFICANCE: Emmitt Smith scored his 25th RUSH TD to set the single-season record
As the final quarter of the 1995 season began, Emmitt Smith still sat tied with John Riggins (1983) for the single-season RUSH TD record with 24. The Cowboys had been beating up on the Cardinals all day and held a 27-13 lead, but were driving yet again as the game winded down. Once they entered the red zone, the entire offense determined this drive would result in Emmitt’s record-breaker. On first and goal from the 3-yd line, he rammed through the left side of Dallas’ line for his record-setting 25th RUSH TD with just 5:49 left in the season.
#DolphinsDidYouKnow The most famous contest between the #Dolphins & Chiefs was on Christmas Day 1971. The Longest Game in NFL history (82:40), Miami prevailed 27-24 when K Garo Yepremian made a 37-yd FG in 2OT of the Divisional playoff game, the 1st postseason win in team history pic.twitter.com/AwH2vd1Nzm
— Chris at Phins.com (@PhinsChris) December 10, 2020
YEAR: 1971
SIGNIFICANCE: The Dolphins defeated the Chiefs in the longest game in NFL history (82:40)
On Christmas Day of 1971, the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Miami Dolphins in an AFC Divisional Playoff bout between two HOF HCs — Hank Stram (KC) and Don Shula (MIA). While Stram was a Super Bowl-winner and 3x AFL Champion with the Chiefs, Shula had led the Baltimore Colts to seven consecutive winning seasons and the 1968 NFL title before leaving for the division-rival Dolphins in 1970. After a disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders in the Divisional Round following a 10-4 season, Miami came right back the following year with a 10-3-1 record in 1971.
KC started the game with 10 unanswered, but MIA responded and tied it by halftime. They traded TDs in the third & fourth quarters, but remained tied with :35 to play as Chiefs K Jan Stenerud trotted out for a 31-yard FGA. The field was a muddy disaster, already causing a miss for Jan, and the Norwegian HOFer missed his second as the game went to OT. His third was blocked, but Dolphins K Garo Yepremian missed one of his own as the game slogged into a second OT. Digging deep into their playbook, Miami finally sprung FB Larry Csonka loose for a 29-yard run to set up a 37-yard FG, finally ending the longest game in NFL history after 82:40.
https://youtu.be/gbzwAhONzuk?t=147
YEAR: 2011
SIGNIFICANCE: On opening day of the 2011 lockout season, MIA’s LeBron James beat DAL in a NBA Finals re-match
Entering the 2011-12 NBA season, the league and it’s National Basketball Players Association had failed to reach an agreement pertaining to the division of revenue, as the 2005 collective bargaining agreement had expired. This dispute lasted for over eight months and forced the season to be reduced to 66 games once the two sides finally agreed to terms. December 8th acted as the all-important date that the 161-day lockout officially ended.
Moving forward from the fourth lockout in NBA history, the shortened season tipped-off on Christmas Day 2011 with five action-packed games, featuring future-HOFer LeBron James. The 16x All-Star was reeling off an unfruitful Finals run after taking his talents to South Beach where he formed Miami’s “Big 3”, alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Named that season’s MVP, James was truly ‘king” of the league as he sought sweet revenge over Dirk Nowitzki, losing 4-2 in the Finals the previous year. James fearlessly led his Heat to a satisfying 105-94 win over the Mavericks in Dallas as LBJ dropped 37 points, christening his year of excellence.
James’ remarkable year would emphatically put the league on notice that he was the most supreme player on the planet. Miami finished atop the East with a 46-20 record and King James won his third of four regular-season MVPs. The “super team” then, trounced through the postseason, destroying OKC 4-1 with James earning his first ring and Finals MVP (28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists). In the 2012 summer that followed, James headlined Team U.S.A. at the Olympics in London, England as he brought back his second Olympic Gold Medal to cap off one of the greatest years in athlete history.
12/25/1862 - 40,000 watch Union army men play baseball at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
— Susan Pernice (@10thAvenueSue) December 25, 2010
YEAR: 1862 & 1888
SIGNIFICANCE: Union soldiers played baseball in Hilton Head, SC in front of a big crowd for the first indoor baseball game ever
On Christmas Day 1862, two teams composed of Union soldiers played a baseball game at Hilton Head, South Carolina in front of an undisclosed attendance that’s believed to be one of the largest baseball crowds of the 19th century. The teams consisted of soldiers from the 165th New York Volunteer Infantry, and the 47th and 48th New York Infantry Regiments. During the American Civil War, soldiers would play baseball games and are credited with spreading the game to a national level—giving the sport its famous nickname: “America’s Pastime”.
16 years later, the first recorded indoor baseball game was played at the Philadelphia Fairgrounds with around 2,000 fans in attendance. The game saw the Uptowners face the Downtowners; a game which the Downtowners won 6-1. Indoor baseball had some different rules than the normal sport played outside— like, for example, a bigger baseball while fielders did not use gloves. By the 1930s, indoor baseball grew enough to establish a professional league. However, it flopped in no less than a couple of months. The sport however stayed alive and kept evolving into what is now known as softball.
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