By winning one championship and getting off to a terrific head start toward another, the Boston Celtics have obviously enjoyed a good year.

It could finish as one of the best in NBA history.

Though the Celtics had their franchise-record, 19-game winning streak snapped with their Christmas loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and they lost again on Friday to Golden State, the Celtics could still go 69-17 for the calendar year.

The best calendar year belongs to the Chicago Bulls, who went 74-11 (.871) from Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1996, fueled by their NBA-record, 72-win season in 1995-96. And though Boston went 66-16 last season and won 27 of its first 30 games of 2008-09, this isn't even the Celtics' best year ever.

The 1973 version would rank second to Chicago at 68-14 (.829), followed by the 1966 Philadelphia 76ers (69-15, .821). ...

NBA TV is dedicating 24 hours to celebrating 24 years of LeBron James.

Cleveland's All-Star forward turns 24 on Tuesday, and the channel is using the occasion to show some of James' most memorable moments on the court.

Coverage begins Monday at 11 a.m. MST with the airing of his first NBA game, a visit to Sacramento on Oct. 29, 2003. Also scheduled are a pair of Cleveland playoff games, along with a couple of documentaries or special programs focused on James.

Tuesday features a replay of his first nationally televised high school game, followed by his 48-point performance in the Cavs' victory over Detroit in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. The marathon ends with a live showing of Cleveland's game at Miami. ...

The Boston Celtics had a 19-game winning streak. The Cleveland Cavaliers won 11 in a row at one point.

Yet neither has been able to run away and hide in the Eastern Conference, because the Orlando Magic have been nearly as good, just not nearly as noticeable.

The Magic were 23-6 after their Christmas Day rout of New Orleans, not far behind the 27-3 Celtics or 25-4 Cavaliers.

"First is the good place to be, but if we can't be first and can't be second, I guess I would rather be third," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I think the good thing is, I look at it this way: The Celtics have the best start in the history of the NBA and we are only four games back."...

The start of the new year always brings the arrival of a few unfamiliar names to casual NBA fans. This time, there's a chance for fans to get an early glimpse at some of them.

Ten-day contracts can be signed beginning Jan. 5, giving teams the chance for short-term, low-cost options to fill some holes. Many players hoping to score one of those deals will be featured starting that day in the NBA Development League's D-League showcase.

Now in its fifth year, the showcase will take place in Orem and includes four days of competition, with four games each day, featuring all of the D-League's 16 teams.

The league announced this week that every game will be streamed live via NBA Futurecast on NBA.com and NBADLeague.com.

Game of the week

Cavaliers at Heat, Tuesday

Miami has won four games in a row. Cleveland has won five. This will be a battle to see if Miami really is a contender in the Eastern Conference. We already know that the Cavs are legitimate.