Short answers, pulled from the story.
NBA Christmas games began in the 1947-48 season, the league's second year. The New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers 89-75 at Madison Square Garden on the 25th of December 1947, making it the first NBA game played on Christmas Day.
LeBron James holds the record for the most games played on Christmas Day with 20 appearances. He also became the all-time Christmas Day scoring leader in 2021, surpassing Kobe Bryant's total of 383 points with 422 career points on the holiday.
The New York Knicks have played 58 Christmas Day games, more than any other franchise. They hold a 26-32 record on the holiday, with both their 26 wins and 32 losses being the most by any team.
Bernard King scored 60 points for the New York Knicks on Christmas Day in 1984, the most ever scored by a player in a Christmas Day game.
The Charlotte Hornets are the only NBA franchise to have never played on Christmas Day. That streak dates back to the team's founding in 1988 and includes their period as the Charlotte Bobcats from 2004 onward.
The first Christmas Day game outside the United States took place in 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 118-102 in that game.