Many will fill their Christmas by spending time with family, opening gifts or focusing on being merry, but us sports fans will have a busy day ahead of ourselves, with five NBA games on tap along with a pair of NFL games, so here’s a look at which former UCLA Bruins will be in action on Wednesday.
Starting off in the association, former Bruin Jaylen Clark hasn’t appeared in a game this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves after tearing his achilles last year during his rookie season. Clark has averaged 12.9 points per game in the G-League with the Iowa Wolves in 16 games.
There will be Bruins on both sides in the 76ers-Celtics game, with Jrue Holiday for Boston and Adem Bona for Philadelphia. Holiday, 2x NBA Champ is named appropriately for Christmas day action while Bona is 15 games into his rookie season backing up the oft-absent Joel Embiid.
Kyle Anderson will play on Christmas for the first time with his new team, signing with the Golden State Warriors in the offseason. Anderson, in year 10 as a pro, is averaging 5.0 points per game while playing 14.5 minutes per game.
The final two UCLA NBA players to play on Christmas are both Denver Nuggets, with future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook and the underrated Peyton Watson as they face the Phoenix Suns. Watson is enjoying a career year, averaging 8.7 points per game, having already set a career-high in starts with 12.
Kansas City Chief running back Carson Steele will be the only Bruin on the field during the NFL’s early game, as Steele will face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Steele remains atop the AFC Pro Bowl ballot for fullback.
There’s just one former Bruin in the afternoon game as well, with Texans’ kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn facing the Baltimore Ravens. Fairbairn isn’t far behind Steele, as he sits second in the AFC Pro Bowl voting behind the Steelers’ Chris Boswell.