The Warriors will play the Lakers on Christmas Day at Oracle Arena, and Shaun Livingston is in the holiday spirit.
The Warriors guard said his fondest memories of Christmas time as a kid in Peoria, Ill., were decorating the tree, the house and the front yard with his grandpa. He remembers the anticipation of Santa Claus coming and of tearing into presents.
The tree at his house was fake.
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He remembers the eats on Christmas: A roast, some chicken, all the fixins, and sweet potato pie for dessert.
Livingston and his wife, Joanna, have a daughter, Tyler, who’s almost 2 years old, and their family will grow by one soon. The Christmas traditions they want to make begin with family and church.
“We try to have family in town,” Livingston said. “The majority of it is … obviously, we’re believers, we celebrate the birth of Jesus ... but making sure we have family there for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s the most important thing. We celebrate that.”
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Livingston said Tyler is getting “everything” for Christmas. He laughed and exclaimed, “It’s ridiculous.”
Livingston jokingly blamed his wife and his wife’s mom.
“She’s just so cute,” he said, picturing Tyler in his head. “We gotta open up gifts before Christmas just to spread it out.”
Livingston noted it’s good they have another baby girl on the way.
“We can pass some of that stuff down,” he said.
As far as what he wants for Christmas?
“I just want all my family to be there. To wake up with my family and enjoy the day. To see Tyler open her presents for kind of the first time. She’s old enough now. I’m looking forward to that. And then a win later that night would be nice to top it off.”