‘Tis the season where we wind down, spend time with loved ones and eat, drink and be merry but basketball continues around the world through Christmas and New Year.
And it’s no different for Australians who are playing at home and abroad with WNBL, NBL, NBA and European seasons in full swing.
NBA on Christmas Day go together like turkey and cranberry sauce with five games slated for December 25 from morning to night.
It will be a special Christmas for new father Dante Exum, who welcomed a daughter Daria earlier this month, who will be on court for Dallas Mavericks against Phoenix Sun.
The teams of Jock Landale (Houston Rockets) Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks) Duop Reath and Matisse Thybulle (Portland Trailblazers) and Joe Ingles (Orlando Magic) are in action on Boxing Day.
A number of Australians are currently playing in Europe and Australian Opal Marianna Tolo is one 11 women in the thick of 2023-24 campaigns.
The dual Olympian is playing for Spar Girona in Spain this season and will make the most of small pause in a gruelling playing and travel schedule.
“This season we have three days off for Christmas so we are going to stay in Girona. My husband Dan and I will cook up a feast and invite my Swedish team mate Regan Magarity and her parents around for Christmas lunch.
“We play on December 23 at home against Gernika then our next game is December 30 against Cadi La Seu then Valencia on January 3.”
Basketball is life for the Froling family and Christmas in no different.
Jenny and Shane were champions in the WNBL and NBL respectively and their four children have played across the leagues with three of them in action over the festive period.
It will be a Christmas dinner of a different kind when Keely’s WNBL team Melbourne Boomers arrive in Townsville and gather around the Froling family dining table for a special feast ahead of their clash with the Fire.
On Christmas Day itself, celebrations will be followed by a game of basketball with youngest son Sam on court for the Illawarra Hawks in their big NBL fixture against the Sydney Kings.
Keely and her twin Alicia will continue their preparations and training before sharing the court a few days later in Melbourne when the Boomers face the Bendigo Spirit.
And with an action-packed schedule and 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon, the basketball will keep flowing well into the New Year.
