10 Athletes and Celebrities On Their Best Christmas Gifts Ever

Stars, they're just like us during the holidays.

December 19, 2018 5:00 am
Dwayne Johnson attends the 'Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle' UK premiere held at Vue West End on December 7, 2017 in London, England.  (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Dwayne Johnson attends the 'Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle' UK premiere held at Vue West End on December 7, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Whether it was a gift they were thrilled to receive as children or one they were proud to bestow upon a loved one later in life, our favorite athletes and celebrities are just like us when it comes to Christmas presents. It is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year for a reason.

Check out the list below to see which shiny new items some of those stars said were their all-time favorites.

celeb Christmas gifts
Billy Joel’s favorite Christmas gift is a modest surprise. (John Lamparski/WireImage)
WireImage

Billy Joel

“It was a year after my father left, and we had no money at all; we had nothing,” the crooner told the New York Daily News in 2016. “I got the crayons and my sister got the coloring book and actually, considering what things were like at that time, it’s the best present I ever got.”

John Legend gave his wife a seriously cheesy gift one year. (Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

John Legend

Chrissy Teigen’s EGOT-winning husband gave his foodie wife a cheesy gift in 2015. But she seemed to love it nonetheless.

“John got me my lifetime dream for Christmas!” the cookbook author captioned a sweet Instagram post. “A cheese wheel to dump pasta and risotto in for years to come!”

Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis’s favorite gift was a new pair of kicks. (James Devaney/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis

“Best Christmas gift I ever got has to be some basketball shoes,” the New York Knicks’ power forward told NBA.com last year. “When I was really young, growing up, we didn’t really have much money. So, when I got some new basketball shoes for Christmas, it was the best thing ever.”

Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett’s healthy, happy daughter was his favorite gift. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Michael Bennett

The Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive end had a slightly different response when Sports Illustrated asked him this popular question in 2014. 

“A newborn baby,” Bennet replied. “My daughter, Blake, was born Dec. 6, 2011. She came out healthy, and she’s very special, so that meant the most to me.”

Mark Ruffalo’s childhood Christmas dram was a toboggan. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Mark Ruffalo

Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo was granted only a limited amount of joy from his favorite gift.

“A toboggan when I was a kid,” he reminisced with New York Magazine in 2016. “All I wanted, ever, was a toboggan. I took it out my first day and I cracked it against an ice wall that I thought was a jump, and that was it. But it was an amazing first run.”

Stamos
John Stamos still has his favorite gift ever. (Jordin Althaus/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

John Stamos

“My favorite gift? A Tony the Tiger drum set,” the Fuller House star told Parade in November. “I still have the bass drum; it’s in my music room.”

Eli Manning
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s favorite present is far from a surprise. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Eli Manning

“I got a Bo Jackson Oakland Raiders full uniform when I was 8-years-old,” the longtime New York Giants QB told Sports Illustrated. “(A) full Raiders uniform, pants and shoulder pads and jersey. (I) wore it right away… (and) had my brothers throwing me passes and playing a little Christmas day football outside.”

Curry
Stephen Curry’s early Christmas gifts set him up for life. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Stephen Curry

“Best gift I think I ever got on Christmas Day was probably my first basketball hoop,” Curry told NBA. “That planted the seed for what I wanted to do with my life and the passion that I have for the game. ”

Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson’s a giver at Christmas. (Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Dwayne Johnson

One of the actor’s most cherished Christmas memories was when he was able to gift his dad a sweet ride.

“Just a small way of saying ‘thank you, dad’ and Merry Christmas!” the Ballers star captioned an Instagram post from 2016.

Affleck
Ben Affleck went all out for J.Lo. (JB Lacroix/ WireImage)
WireImage

Ben Affleck

Actor and director Ben Affleck reportedly told a friend in 2003 that he purchased his then-fiancé, Jennifer Lopez, a jewel-encrusted toilet seat that allegedly ran him a cool $105,000.

“Jennifer is my princess and she deserves only the best – even when it comes to toilets,” the Oscar-winner reportedly told a pal.

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