LOS ANGELES, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, who this week complained about having to work on Christmas, will do so for a record 18th time Saturday.
Jackson has led a team on the holiday more than any other coach in the NBA, and his Lakers will take part in the top attraction Saturday when they meet LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
It will be the first time in league history a player who has won the previous two MVP awards (James) will face a player who has won the last two NBA Finals MVP honors (Kobe Bryant).
Jackson has said the league needs to think more about allowing its players and coaches to celebrate Christmas than it does about producing a string of games on Dec. 25.
For the time being, however, there will be games on Christmas -- and this year there will be five of them.
It begins at 12 p.m. EST with Chicago visiting the New York Knicks. Games will follow throughout the afternoon and evening -- Boston at Orlando, Miami at the Lakers, Denver at Oklahoma City and Portland at Golden State.
As the NBA reaches its first major milestone of the season, the team with the best record in the league will not be on display. San Antonio has a 25-4 mark to lead the league, its fourth loss having come Thursday against Orlando.
Also missing will be two of the other six teams with fewer than 10 losses -- Dallas (23-5) and Utah (21-9).
