New York Knicks: 15 greatest individual performances of all-time

2. Bernard King shows out on Christmas

Christmas Day is arguably the highlight of the NBA regular season. The league makes sure to schedule the top teams featuring some of the best players, creating an incredible day for basketball fans everywhere.

The players also understand how important it is getting to play on Dec. 25. Given the marketing and national television spots, it’s a time for them to show out and play their best in the hope that it can elevate their status.

From the moment he stepped foot into the NBA back in 1977, there was no disputing the one thing Bernard King could do was score the basketball.

Interestingly enough, King was Carmelo Anthony long before 2003. He operated mostly out of the mid-post area with a dead-on jumper and the ability to attack the basket. He finished his 14-year career averaging 22.5 buckets per game, 28th best in league history all-time.

Fast forward to Christmas Day 1984, and it was clear to everyone King had it going.

To say he was on fire might just be an understatement. The Hall of Famer shot 19-for-30 from the field and took a whopping 26 free throws, converting 22 of them, on his way to what was then a franchise record 60 points.

A performance of this caliber should be considered special at any point of the season, but for it to come on the premier date of the regular season, likely with extra fans watching, was incredible and really brought King’s greatness into the limelight.