"NBA Christmas jerseys are back" is all over sports Twitter today. The story says Nike is bringing back Christmas uniforms for the first time since 2016, with eight teams and a December 14 release: the Celtics, Knicks, 76ers, Hawks, Lakers, Warriors, Kings and Pistons.
Here is where it stands as of November 4: neither the NBA nor Nike has announced Christmas jerseys, and the reports don't name a source. Two things in the official record are worth knowing:
- Those eight teams are exactly the eight teams in Nike's Specter Edition, the dark fifth uniform Nike and the NBA confirmed on September 10.
- The NBA's official game-by-game uniform schedule has no Specter games on Christmas Day. As it stands today, every team playing on December 25 is scheduled for a regular jersey.
That doesn't rule out a Christmas announcement. Teams can change a game's jersey, and Nike could still reveal something. If it happens, we will update this post the same day.
Why the Specter Edition Keeps Getting Called Christmas Jerseys
This is the second time these eight jerseys have been called Christmas jerseys. When the designs leaked in April, the leak was labeled as the 2026 Christmas set, and we covered it that way. In September, Nike revealed them as the Specter Edition, a fifth uniform for the league's eight oldest franchises.
The eight Specter Edition designs from the April leak
What lines up with the new reports:
- The Specter jerseys are worn in December. The NBA schedule has 24 Specter games, three per team, all at home, between November 29 and December 29.
- December 14 is a real date. The Celtics, Pistons and Lakers all wear Specter that night.
And the timing lands close to Christmas: the Hawks, Kings, Knicks and Lakers all wear Specter on December 23, two days before the holiday. But three of the eight teams (the Hawks, Kings and Pistons) don't even play on Christmas.
What Every Team Wears on Christmas Day 2026
Five games, 10 teams, from the NBA's official uniform schedule as of November 4. No Specter, no Christmas edition, no City Edition, unless that changes.
Spurs at Knicks
The Knicks host in white, the Spurs wear black. New York is a Specter team, but its Specter nights are December 23 and 27, not the 25th. Black and white is the safest look on the whole slate.
Heat at Celtics
Color against color: Boston in green at home, Miami in black. Best-looking game of the day on paper. Boston's Specter nights are December 2, 14 and 20.
76ers at Lakers
Both of these are Specter teams, and neither wears it. The Lakers are in white, the 76ers in royal blue. The Lakers wear Specter two days earlier, on December 23.
Nuggets at Warriors
Golden State in white at home, Denver in its royal blue Statement jersey. The Warriors' last Specter night is December 22.
Thunder at Timberwolves
The only home team in a dark jersey besides Boston: Minnesota in black, the Thunder in blue.
Our Take: Bring Real Christmas Jerseys Back
The report took off because people want it to be true. Adidas made special Christmas uniforms every year from 2012 through 2016, and some of them were bad (the sleeved ones), but Christmas felt like an event. Nike took over in 2017 and the holiday jerseys went away. Now the NBA's biggest regular-season day looks like any other night of the season.
The Specter Edition would have been a better fit for Christmas than for random nights in December. Five Specter teams play on the 25th. Put them all in Specter that day and you have a Christmas collection without making a single new jersey. Instead the league scheduled them for two days earlier.
If Nike announces a Christmas set, we will update this post the same day. Until then, the jerseys above are what's on the schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are NBA Christmas jerseys coming back in 2026?
Not confirmed. As of November 4, neither the NBA nor Nike has announced Christmas jerseys. The reports name the same eight teams as the Specter Edition, and the NBA's uniform schedule has no Specter games on December 25. We will update this answer if that changes.
What jerseys are teams wearing on Christmas Day 2026?
Spurs black at Knicks white; Heat black at Celtics green; 76ers royal blue at Lakers white; Nuggets royal blue at Warriors white; Thunder blue at Timberwolves black. All are regular Icon, Association or Statement jerseys, per the NBA's schedule as of November 4.
What NBA games are on Christmas Day 2026?
Five: Spurs at Knicks, Heat at Celtics, 76ers at Lakers, Nuggets at Warriors and Thunder at Timberwolves.
What are the Specter Edition jerseys?
A dark fifth uniform from Nike for the NBA's eight oldest franchises: the Celtics, Knicks, 76ers, Hawks, Lakers, Warriors, Kings and Pistons. Nike confirmed them on September 10, 2026. Every design graded.
When do the Specter Edition jerseys debut?
Sunday, November 29, when the Pistons, Warriors, Knicks and Kings all wear them. The last Specter games are December 29.
What is happening on December 14?
The Celtics, Pistons and Lakers all wear their Specter jerseys at home that night. The new reports say December 14 is also a retail date; Nike has not confirmed that.
When did the NBA last have Christmas jerseys?
2016, the last year adidas made the league's uniforms. Nike has had the contract since 2017 and has not made a Christmas set.
Will any team wear a special jersey on Christmas?
Not on the current schedule. Teams can change a game's jersey later, and we will update this post if any of the 10 do.
See every team's full 2026-27 jersey plan in our NBA uniforms hub, and follow what's worn every night on the NBA uniform tracker.
