Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

NBA on MLK Day 2025: History, top records, and more

The 23rd MLK Day will see the Grizzlies host an MLK Day matchup in Memphis, where Dr. King was assassinated on the night of April 4, 1968.

Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NBA will honour the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King with its 39th edition of the NBA on MLK Day. The 23rd MLK Day will see the Grizzlies host an MLK Day 2025 matchup in Memphis, where Dr. King was assassinated on the night of April 4, 1968.

The NBA hosts games every MLK Day, a tradition which began in 1986. However, there was an exception in the 1998-99 season, which didn’t begin until February 5. Since the beginning, there have been a total of 367 NBA games played on MLK day, with eight games scheduled for 2025.

The NBA on MLK Day 2025 events will begin with the Dallas Mavericks locking horns with the Charlotte Hornets on NBA TV. It will be followed by a TNT-hosted doubleheader with a special pregame coverage.

Here are some standout performances and records from the past editions of MLK Day games:

Most Points Scored

Damian Lillard holds the record for the most points ever scored during the 2020 MLK Day when he dropped 61 points in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 129-124 win over the Golden State Warriors in 2020.

Player	Match Up	Date	Points	FGM	3PM	FTM
Damian Lillard	POR vs. GSW	1/20/20	61	17	11	16
Kemba Walker	CHA vs UTA	1/18/16	52	16	6	14
Jayson Tatum	BOS @CHA	1/16/23	51	15	7	14
Gilbert Arenas	WAS vs UTA	1/15/07	51	14	7	16
LeBron James	LAL vs HOU	1/16/23	48	16	5	11
Devin Booker	PHX @SAS	1/17/22	48	18	5	7
Blake Griffin	LAC vs IND	1/17/11/	47	19	0	9
Michael Jordan	CHI @ WAS	1/15/96	46	16	3	11
James Harden	HOU vs IND	1/19/15	45	12	7	14
Dominique Wilkins	ALT @ NYK	1/18/88	45	16	0	3

Most Points Scored (Team)

The Golden State Warriors have the record for the most points scored by a team on MLK Day. They achieved the feat during the match-up against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1989, where they put up a total of 146 points. Below given are the top six totals scored by a team on an MLK Day.

Team	Match Up	Date	Points	Opp Points
Golden State Warriors	GSW vs. SEA	1/16/89	146	117
Indiana Pacers	IND vs. GSW	1/15/90	144	105
LA Lakers	LAL vs HOU	1/16/23	140	132
LA Clippers	LAC vs HOU	1/18/16	140	132
LA Clippers	LAC vs IND	1/17/22	139	133
Boston Celtics	BOS vs LAL	1/20/20	139	107

Most Games Played (Team)

The NBA has played on all MLK Days since 1986, except 1998-99 season, and amongst all teams, the New York Knicks have played the highest number of games. The Knicks top the list with a total of 38 games so far, and they will extend their streak as they lock horns with the Atlanta Hawks in another exciting clash for the MLK Day 2025.

Most Games Won (Team)

As of 2024, the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks share the record for the most games won in NBA’s MLK Day history. They have won 23 games each since the first MLK Day celebration.

Also Read:

Major Wins in MLK Games

Match Ups	Date	Scoreline
Golden State Warriors-Seattle SuperSonics	1/16/1989	146-117
Indiana Pacers-Golden State Warriors	1/15/1990	144-105
Miami Heat-Minnesota Timberwolves	1/20/1992	121-105
Chicago Bulls-Philadelphia 76ers	1/17/1994	121-91
Utah Jazz-Cleveland Cavaliers	1/20/1997	94-74
Charlotte Hornets-New York Knicks	1/21/2002	111-68
Sacramento Kings-LA Clippers	1/19/2004	125-100
San Antonio Spurs-Washington Wizards	1/17/2005	101-73
Washington Wizards-Philadelphia 76ers	1/16/2006	104-76
Minnesota Timberwolves-Philadelphia 76ers	1/18/2010	124-93
Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks	1/18/2010	124-93
Brooklyn Nets-Sacramento Kings	1/21/2019	123-94
Philadelphia 76ers-Houston Rockets	1/21/2019	121-93
Boston Celtics-LA Lakers	1/20/2020	139-107
San Antonio Spurs-Portland Trail Blazers	1/18/2021	123-95
Memphis Grizzlies-Phoenix Suns	1/16/2023	136-106

MLK Day 2025

NBA on MLK Day 2025

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.