Will the OKC Thunder return to being a Christmas Day staple?

As Santa Claus flies back to the North Pole after his one day of work a year (What a life, huh? Grind super hard for one night a year, then relax for 364 days), the NBA on Christmas Day slate wrapped up with Luka Doncic dropping 50 points in a win over the Suns.

The Oklahoma City Thunder used to be a staple of the NBA's premier day. There is no greater regular season showcase for the league than Christmas Day, even as the NFL creeps in on the Holiday, it still means something to play on Christmas.

When the NBA schedule is laid out each August, fans and media race to December to see who is playing on Christmas (that is, of course, if Woj or Shams have not already released the slate).

Since the Thunder moved to Oklahoma City in the 2008-09 NBA season, the franchise has played in nine Christmas Day games, with their last coming in 2018.

The OKC Thunder will return to the NBA Christmas Day lineup, and the hope is to be a staple of the slate yet again.

Like clockwork from 2010-18, you could expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to play on Christmas Day; it became part of fans' Holiday Traditions to gather around the television or make a trip to the Paycom Center and enjoy the future Hall of Famers gracing the hardwood.

Through those nine games, not only did the Thunder have a 6-3 record, but we saw some epic performances along the way.

This year, the Oklahoma City Thunder have burst back onto the scene, owning a top-three record in the Western Conference for the majority of the season. Still, the Thunder sit third in the West with an 18-9 record.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like an MVP candidate,Chet Holmgren might be the first rookie All-Star since 2011, Jalen Williams continues to show how high his ceiling is, and Sam Presti has crafted depth for this Thunder roster.

Oklahoma City is one of the most exciting teams to watch, and with each passing game, the Paycom Center is getting closer and closer to returning to its old form as one of the toughest places to play.

It would be shocking if the OKC Thunder are not back on the Christmas Day slate in 2024, and once Oklahoma City returns, I do not think they will let go of their spot for a long time.