Once again, the NBA focused on big stars and big cities when compiling this year’s slate of Christmas Day games.
The league’s annual holiday showcase will start at noon Eastern Time and will feature five games stretching over more than 12 hours. Anyone who wants to spend part of the day with LeBron James, Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant will be delighted, although there seem to be a few glaring omissions, both among players and teams.
The day will tip off at Madison Square Garden with the Knicks hosting the Spurs. New York is an automatic selection for Christmas any time the team is half decent, and this year’s version looks like a title contender. After excelling in the Olympic spotlight, Victor Wembanyama will get his first Christmas game in the “world’s most famous arena.”
The action continues with the Timberwolves, making a rare Christmas Day appearance, traveling to Dallas to take on the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks. This rematch of the conference finals features two of the NBA’s top stars in Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic and could be important in the race for the best record in the West.
Next up, the Sixers and Celtics will renew their rivalry in Boston in a battle of two of the best teams in the East. Philadelphia added Paul George as part of an offseason roster overhaul and should be a legitimate challenger for the defending champs, who may not have Kristaps Porzingis available by December 25 following offseason surgery.
The Warriors will host the Lakers in the prime-time matchup, with James and Curry meeting for the first time since their Olympic heroics. Although these are still two of the league’s glamour teams and should draw a good rating, they combined for just one playoff win last season.
The day will end with the Suns hosting the Nuggets in the late game. Durant and Nikola Jokic were also outstanding at the Olympics, and Phoenix and Denver should both be in the midst of the Western Conference playoff race.
Even with an entertaining slate of games, there are many fans and players who feel left out. Being on the Christmas Day schedule is considered a sign of respect around the league, so it’s almost an insult to be overlooked.
The Thunder are the most obvious omission after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the West last season. Oklahoma City has the MVP runner-up in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with a talented young roster that looks ready to contend for years to come. OKC also upgraded during the offseason by trading for Alex Caruso and signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Bucks are typically a Christmas Day fixture, but they got passed over after losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard remain two of the league’s top stars and a strong argument can be made that Milwaukee should have been included.
The Pacers, who reached the conference finals and the in-season tournament finals, are an exciting young team in the East, as are the Cavaliers and Magic. Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell and Paolo Banchero would all be worthy of Christmas games.
In the West, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies and James Harden and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers should also be in the conversation.
We want to get your opinion. What was the biggest snub on the Christmas Day schedule? Please leave your response in comments section.
Silly to have the Suns in with how disappointing they’ve been the past two years, stinking in the playoffs despite that star power. Speaking of star power, the Bucks have more of it.
And if the league wanted a young, up and coming team, it’s the Thunder, not the Spurs or Wolves. Wemby is a bigger star than Ant and SGA but are they watching Xmas Day games in France? Doubt it. Not sure why the league isn’t marketing SGA to Canadians more, seems like it would be a good idea.
It’s getting harder and harder to justify the Warriors having as much national time as they get. This is a lottery team without Curry and might be one with him even. If he’s hurt this year then having the Dubs on Xmas will look awful.
I’m going to disagree with everything you write here. First of all it’s not silly to have the Suns on Christmas day. They have two Olympians on the roster. You need a West Coast team for The nightcap so they make perfect sense. Nobody’s watching NBA basketball on Christmas at 11:00 p.m. in New York.
As far as young Talent appearing on christmas, the Wolves finished higher than the thunder so they’re the obvious choice, and Victor is the best young star in the entire league. Everyone wants to see him and how much he’s improved from last year. Makes total sense, even if he’s French. He’s an NBA star now.
Canada is all about SGA but what’s the population there? Eastern Canada has same population as Florida 20-25 million or so? All the marketing in the world will only result in so much.
Lastly, Steph Curry cares so much about his legacy, his team, and the league, that I would absolutely guarantee he plays on Christmas day. I would bet one of my houses on it and maybe include all the cars in the garage, well except for the Sienna. The wife would have (another) reason for a Friday night headache if I put that on the line. So there’s no way he sits out Christmas Day. 0.0 % chance.
Quit spouting off like you know anything about Canada.
Number one I’m Canadian. Number two I spent the summer there last year in Montreal. Anything else to say?
Curry is about a week removed from one the most clutch and impressive shooting displays in history, not sure how anyone could be critical of GS or LAL inclusion. Stars draw ratings, ratings make ABC/NBC/Amazon pony up huge money for broadcast rights.
Say you hate the warriors without saying you hate the warriors. SGA is not as big of a star outside OKC. He couldn’t take OKC far in the playoff or team Canada. Until OKC wins a championship they will not be considered a team people want to watch.
Shai finished 5th two seasons ago and 2nd last season in MVP balloting. I’m not he’s a big of star as Steph, Curry is probably the second most popular player in the league but to say Shai isn’t a big star outside of OKC is ludicrous.
Outside of NBA fans nobody knows who he is. To pretend a small market team is going to draw fans just because they had 1 good year is not marketable for a national audience. Shai wins a trophy he will be a big star.
Maybe OKC has a gripe but otherwise I think the schedule is fine. I will probably only watch Knicks and C’s v 76ers anyway.
Why does anyone care about this? It’s just another day of hoops.
Dude I love Christmas Day basketball. Everybody’s off and at home and bickering back and forth about teams and players and hanging around and eating and socializing. It’s a great day for Hoops all day long. I love it.
It’s just another day of hoops, no matter what’s going on at your house bro.
Agreed. Another a day of Hoops for you, just like any Tuesday night. But my house, it’s a huge thing. We love it.
It isn’t as big of a day anymore since NFL took over.
Christmas games use to feel like the real start of the NBA season. It has never really been that big of a deal to me since every team plays each other.
Reason OKC is not part of the schedule they are a very small market team. They would need to play a top market team to make sense putting them on national TV.
people would watch a spurs, okc game on xmas.
Wemby fans would but not other fans.
Funny when I said Shai needed to win a medal to be relevant everyone scoffed, yet now prevailing opinion is OKC isn’t big enough market. Smdh.
For once in my life I’d love to be wrong, just to know what it feels like.
Uno you don’t put your opinion out there enough to ever be wrong. You have to be like me and make bold calls three or four times a week. Then all the fans come out. They’ll let you know how wrong you are even when you’re right LOL
Shai is very relevant. OKC with all their draft picks wouldn’t be as good without him. He’s the star who can make the big shot or come up with the clutch defensive play.
SGA being relevant has nothing to do with small Market, Big Market, medium market. His name is out there as a stud but doesn’t mean he’s going to be on TV a heck of a lot. Nope not until they win it all or make the Conference Finals.
Until then it’s New York Boston Philly and LA San Francisco.
After that it’s the “one star player” teams people like to see. Jimmy buckets in Miami, Victor in San Antonio, or Ant in Minnesota, but they made it to the conference finals.
Thunder just got here. So who cares …….
Big market teams will always get the nod for numbers. Its Business. Either you are one of best. Or you are good enough from a big market.