Like chestnuts roasting or caroling, NBA games on Christmas Day are a holiday tradition, one dating to three played on Dec. 25, 1947, that featured the long-gone Providence Steam Rollers, Chicago Stags and St. Louis Bombers.
Nearly 70 years later, the Timberwolves will play on Christmas for the first time in their 27-season history. Invited perhaps a season early, they play at Oklahoma City on Sunday evening in the fourth game of a marathon quintupleheader that delivers in the afternoon a Golden State-Cleveland rematch from the past two NBA Finals.
The Wolves are among the 10 chosen teams primarily because of what young stars Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine someday will be, not what they are just now.