5 best NBA Christmas moments ever

3. Charles Barkley (1993 vs. Houston Rockets)

Like Bill Hader’s Stefon would say, this one has everything: a huge number of rebounds, even more points, and a victory against a team on which Barkley would go on to play. Seriously, this game is basically a microcosm of what made Barkley great. On his best nights, he was the kind of player who made you second-guess the guy you had previously thought was your favorite player, making the case for himself instead.

Look:

Tell me you didn’t instantly go look up more Suns-era Barkley highlights after that one. YouTube exists for players like Charles Barkley, so that posterity might understand how such a large man did such incredible things in a sport that usually requires supreme athleticism to reach the greatest heights. And odds are if you’ve found your way into some Barkley highlights on YouTube, you’ll eventually find this Christmas Day masterpiece.

A twenty-point win over Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets (who posted a 27-13-6 himself that might otherwise qualify for this list) in which he partnered with Kevin Johnson (36 points, 9 assists) to show that these Suns were for real is a must-see for Barkley lovers and haters alike. Watching this guy is an experience: Disinterested defense, whip-smart offense, physical in every way.

Christmas 1993 was the night that proved to the league what he was capable of with this Suns team, and helped earn him the lone MVP trophy of his career.