The NBA Is Bringing Back Christmas Jerseys for 2026

Nike and the NBA are expected to bring back one of basketball’s more memorable holiday traditions this year, with the recently unveiled Spectre jerseys expected to serve as this season’s Christmas uniforms.

The collection is currently expected to arrive on December 14 and includes eight teams, marking the first dedicated NBA Christmas jersey release in roughly a decade. Nike currently holds the league’s exclusive rights to design and manufacture NBA uniforms and on-court apparel, with the partnership extended through 2037.

Christmas-specific uniforms were once a regular part of the NBA calendar. Beginning in 2012, teams playing on December 25 received special looks created specifically for the league’s Christmas Day slate, ranging from monochromatic uniforms and sleeved jerseys to the script-heavy designs that became closely associated with the holiday.

The tradition ended following the 2016 Christmas Day games, the final season before Nike took over as the NBA’s official on-court apparel provider in 2017. Since then, teams have worn their regular seasonal uniform rotations on Christmas rather than a dedicated holiday collection.

Now, Nike appears ready to revisit the concept for Holiday 2026 through the newly unveiled Spectre jerseys. Each design takes a darker approach while pulling from the identity, history and culture of its respective franchise.

The collection is currently expected to release on December 14, just ahead of the NBA’s annual Christmas Day slate.

Teams set to be included:

• Boston Celtics
• New York Knicks
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Atlanta Hawks
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Golden State Warriors
• Sacramento Kings
• Detroit Pistons

More teams could surface alongside additional release details, pricing and the complete roster of teams are expected to surface closer to the December 14 launch.

For more on Nike Basketball, make sure to checkout LeBron James' Nike LeBron 24.

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