For many NBA fans, Christmas Day used to mark the unofficial start of the NBA season. As football's regular is nearing its end at this point, this is when the NBA likes to show off their brightest stars and best teams in a five-game marathon of action that households can tune into while celebrating the holiday. Last week, the NBA announced this year's slate of games that will take place on December 25th.
2024 NBA Christmas Games:
San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks
Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns
Although we do get to see some of the game's best players in action; LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Anthony Edwards to name a handful of the guys in action, I am personally not feeling the same amount of buzz surrounding the announcement of these games in comparison years past.
Not only have I noticed the excitement for the NBA Christmas go down this year, but also in recent years. Maybe it is just with me getting older, it just leaves me with a feeling of nostalgia for these games when they felt truly special and something to look forward to. With that, it made me wonder, is the magic of the NBA on Christmas day simply fading? Is it already dead? And lastly, can they ever capture the audience like they once did?
I think the decline of The NBA's Christmas Day was doomed once the NFL decided they were going to get in on the holiday action. NFL regular season games already hold more weight than NBA games because fewer games and fewer playoff spots equals more urgency. By the last week of December, in the heat of the playoff race, football already being the more popular sport in America would automatically be drawn to the NFL games due to the higher stakes.
Before the NFL got involved, NBA Christmas games had been a major revenue source for the league, as they were able to capitalize on the lack of competition from other major sports. Once football decided to partake, the NBA met with a new level of competition that took away the draw of games.
Not to mention, the popularity of the NFL has simply just seen more year-by-year growth compared to the NBA. Whether that be due to each game meaning more, sports gambling, or even fantasy football, it is no question now that the NFL is king in America when it comes to sports. Because of that, even aside from Christmas, the NBA has struggled to keep the casual fan engaged throughout the regular season which has bled into the decline in ratings, and mystique that basketball on Christmas Day once had.
Also, I believe one underrated aspect that has diminished the lore of the NBA on Christmas Day is the aesthetic just no longer feels the same, specifically, why did the NBA stop making Christmas Day uniforms? I'm not saying they were the greatest things ever, but they did at least help these games stand out.
2016 Christmas Jerseys:
The Christmas jerseys gave these games an extra touch that helped differentiate them from a normal regular season date which added an extra unique flavor that we no longer get. I realize this is probably because since took over the NBA's jersey rights in 2017, they have released new jerseys every year for each team with their "City" and "Earned" lines, but I do miss the Christmas ones. I found them to be part of the charm of Christmas Day Hoops.
In the end, while there are ways the league could try to recapture the magic of Christmas Day games, such as bringing back those special edition jerseys, perhaps adding Christmas Day MVPs to each game? Or maybe even most boldly, letting the fans decide the games somehow.
Nevertheless, the league still will face an uphill battle, especially now that they have to go up against the goliath of American sports with the NFL having no signs of letting the NBA take back its Christmas Day spotlight. While the league can try to make changes to bring back some of that Christmas Spirit, recapturing what they once had will almost be impossible with the ever-growing sports market, I would not be surprised if sometime soon College Football decides to make a run at adding more Bowl games on Christmas Day which would comprise the NBA even more.
I guess you could say Roger Goodell is the Grinch who stole Adam Silver's Christmas.
Comments