NBA on Christmas Day
Encyclopedia
The National Basketball Association
's Christmas Games is a series of games played on Christmas
Day. It has been an annual occurrence since the league's inception in 1946, like their National Football League
's November holiday counterparts, the Thanksgiving Classic
games. However, unlike the Thanksgiving Classic which features games in Detroit
and Dallas, there are no fixed opponents for games played during the holiday and the games played usually feature some of the best teams and players.
beat the Providence Steamrollers
at Madison Square Garden 89–75. Since then, the NBA has played games every year on Christmas Day, except in the , when a lockout
canceled half the season.
In the early days of the NBA on Christmas Day, regional proximity dictated most of the matchups. Teams would usually play their geographical rivals to cut down on holiday travel and allow them to have more time with their families. According to Dr. Jack Ramsay
, coach of the Portland Trail Blazers
from their only championship season of 1976–77
to : "Christmas meant being at home with the family and having a game we always won. That was a perfect Christmas to me." He has the most coaching victories on Christmas Day, with 11, a record that Phil Jackson
tied in .
In the early 1980s, after three straight years of memorable moments involving the New York Knicks, including Bernard King
scoring 60 points in , the most ever scored by a player on Christmas Day, and with the advent of television, the NBA scheduled games over the holiday as a showcase featuring the best teams and players.
103–95 at Madison Square Garden
. During the 1990s, each Christmas (except for 1998) revived the rivalry between both teams, as it featured a game involving either (or both) team(s). The Knicks' 21 wins are the most by a team on Christmas Day.
Some of the players and coaches that have played on this day besides Bernard King, Dr. Jack Ramsay and Phil Jackson include Wilt Chamberlain
, Bill Russell
, Julius Erving
, LeBron James
, Patrick Ewing
, Michael Jordan
, Kobe Bryant
, Tracy McGrady
, Scottie Pippen
, Shaquille O'Neal
, Paul Pierce
, Kevin Garnett
, Ray Allen
, Dwyane Wade
, Doc Rivers
,, Pat Riley
, Stan Van Gundy
, Dwight Howard
, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony
, and Derrick Rose
. Some of them have participated on Christmas Day as both a player and a coach. Doc Rivers participated as a player with the Knicks in and as a coach with the Boston Celtics
from to . Bryant has played more games on Christmas Day than he has on any other date on the calendar, playing his first in , and most recently in the . Jackson, who also participated as a player and coach, being part of at least 20 of them, coached during the holiday every year since (except for 1995 and 2004) until his retirement at the end of the and won his 1,000th game on Christmas Day in 2008, when the Lakers beat the rival Celtics in the first game of a rematch of that year's finals
.
Many teams and players that have played on this day have worn special uniforms and sneakers. Since 2009, the Knicks wear their third jersey
, the green/orange alternate which they first used exclusively on St. Patrick's Day games since the season. During the game between the Heat and the Lakers in 2010, players on both teams wore holiday sneakers, including lime-green Nike kicks on Bryant, Pau Gasol
and Lamar Odom
. James and Chris Bosh
wore holiday-red shoes with garish green laces. Since the , teams playing on Christmas Day wear a patch featuring the NBA logo inside a snowflake
.
in 1984, Patrick Ewing
helping the Knicks come back to beat the Boston Celtics
after trailing by 25 points in 1985, and again beating Michael Jordan
and the Bulls on last second jumper in 1986, Scottie Pippen
's last second block in 1994, the first showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as opponents in 2004, Phil Jackson becoming the fastest coach to win 1,000 games in 2008, showdowns between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, and Opening Day of the season as a result of a lockout
.
Rivalries have also been showcased during games played on this day. For example, during the 1990s, each Christmas featured a game involving either the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls, with both teams playing against each other in both the Bulls championship season of 1992–93
and , and would have played each other in 1998, if there had not been a lockout. The only year during the 1990s in which neither team played on Christmas Day was during the Bulls first championship season in their second three-peat, in 1995–96
. In the mid-2000s, the NBA scheduled games between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers to showcase the Shaq–Kobe feud.
After a season's NBA Finals comes to an end, officials from both the NBA and the broadcast network that broadcast the NBA meet to plan the schedule of games over the holiday during the upcoming season. In most cases, two of the teams that play during the holiday are the teams that reached the finals the previous season. The NBA usually tries to have the best players play against each other. Some examples of this include and , when the defending champions of those seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers
played at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers
in 2009 and the Miami Heat
in 2010, so that they could have showdowns between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James both times.
played in New York
against the Knicks
on WCBS
channel 2 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Stan Lomax and Bob Edge called that particular game. Approximately 15 minutes later, at 8:15 p.m. Central Time
, Joe Wilson broadcast the game between Baltimore Bullets
and Chicago Stags
for WBKB
channel 4 in Chicago
.
The first nationally televised Christmas Day NBA broadcast occurred in , when ABC broadcast a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Diego Rockets
from San Diego. Jerry Gross and Jack Twyman
called that particular broadcast for ABC. ABC would continue to televise Christmas Day games on through . The remainder of these broadcasts, emulated from Phoenix
. Chris Schenkel
did play-by-play for ABC during this period with the exception of , when Keith Jackson
had the honors. Jack Twyman remained in the color commentating position up until , when Bill Russell
took over.
From - (with the exception of ), CBS broadcast a game on Christmas Day. However, it was not until that the games became a household tradition, when CBS broadcast the game between the New Jersey Nets
and the New York Knicks and ESPN broadcast the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers
(Sam Smith and Dick Vitale
were on the call for ESPN). In the 1990s, NBC broadcast a doubleheader each year on Christmas Day and this has continued after ABC took over in . However, in 2004 and 2006, ABC broadcast only one game. For three years (2004–2006) ABC insisted on having a Christmas Day game between the Miami Heat
and the Los Angeles Lakers
so that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal could play against each other. Since ABC took over the NBA, ESPN has also broadcast games on Christmas Day (except in 2006). Since 2009, Christmas Day broadcasts on ESPN/ABC have featured a music video featuring Mariah Carey
singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You." In 2010, Carey was featured singing "Oh Santa!
"
In , TNT broadcast on Christmas Day for the first time as Marv Albert
, Mike Fratello
and Craig Sager
broadcast the game between Washington
and Cleveland
in Cleveland
and Kevin Harlan
, Reggie Miller
and Cheryl Miller broadcast the game between Dallas
and Portland
in Portland.
As noted above, Christmas is the day that network television tips off its NBA season and they do so with a doubleheader of the best teams.
said in 2009 before a showdown against the Orlando Magic
at Amway Arena that he that he "tends to look at it as a reward," and in 2010, called it an "honor" to be part of the marquee games. Lamar Odom
of the Los Angeles Lakers
called it "a tremendous privilege to be able to entertain the world. You understand the privilege of playing on TV in those games, but there are some times where I wish I could just be normal, be a normal family man." The Lakers have played every year on Christmas Day since , but would have played every year since 1998 if there had not been a lockout. In 2010, Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni
said that players should be "very fortunate" to be playing on Christmas Day and that "it helps the league, and...it helps other people on Christmas or on the holidays."
During broadcasts of NBA games, commentators and the news media have said that Christmas Day has been considered the best day of an NBA regular season and that games played serve as a preview of a potential series in the playoffs, and perhaps, the finals.
In 2004, the news media criticized the NBA for scheduling a game between the Detroit Pistons
and Indiana Pacers
, as it was the first time since their brawl that the two teams were facing each other. While their obvious concerns were valid, this criticism was somewhat unjustified because the entire regular season is scheduled before it begins, so the other three Pistons-Pacers games had already been scheduled when the first (the game ending with the brawl) took place. However, the fans and players at the game at Conseco Fieldhouse
were well-behaved and there were no incidents. The day's other game, between the Miami Heat
and Los Angeles Lakers
marked the first time since the Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal
to the Heat that the two teams were facing each other and the first time that Shaq and Kobe Bryant would be facing each other as opponents. These complaints didn't exist during the 1990s when the NBA scheduled games involving the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.
Recently, players and coaches have complained about playing on Christmas Day, saying that it's time away from families. In 2009, Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy
said that the NBA shouldn't be playing on Christmas Day, saying "I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game" and said that the day is best spent with family. The Magic was fined for his comments. However in 2010, he said that the NBA should play more games on Christmas Day.
In 2010, LeBron James
and Lakers coach Phil Jackson
complained. Jackson said that "I don’t think anybody should play on Christmas Day. It’s like Christian holidays don’t mean to them anything any more." Jackson gave his comments from having coached during the holiday quite often in the 1990s while with the Bulls and in the 2000s with the Lakers and won his 1,000th game on the holiday in 2008. James said of playing on the day: "If you ask any player in the league, we'd rather be home with our families...It’s definitely one of those days that you wish you could wake up in the morning with the kids and open up presents." However, before the game between the Knicks and the Bulls, the players on the Knicks disagreed. Coach Mike D'Antoni said "I can adjust a little bit. I can open my presents up at 7 o’clock at night instead of 7 o’clock in the morning." Although Raymond Felton
said that "you'd rather be with your family. We're still going to celebrate," he, like many players, said that he was fortunate to have played with his family in attendance. Because of all of this criticism of missing Christmas family time, in 2010 all family members of players were recommended by the league to attend for free.
In 2009, the game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks drew the highest rating of the for an NBA game on ESPN, earning a 1.9 with 2.6 million viewers.
In 2010, the game between the Heat and the defending champion
Los Angeles Lakers drew a 6.4 rating on ABC, the highest for an NBA game on ABC since the game between the two teams on Christmas Day in 2004, which drew a 7.3 rating.
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Christmas Games is a series of games played on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day. It has been an annual occurrence since the league's inception in 1946, like their National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's November holiday counterparts, the Thanksgiving Classic
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
games. However, unlike the Thanksgiving Classic which features games in Detroit
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
and Dallas, there are no fixed opponents for games played during the holiday and the games played usually feature some of the best teams and players.
History
In 1947, a year after the NBA's inception, the first NBA games on December 25 were played when the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
beat the Providence Steamrollers
Providence Steamrollers
The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....
at Madison Square Garden 89–75. Since then, the NBA has played games every year on Christmas Day, except in the , when a lockout
1998–99 NBA lockout
The 1998–99 NBA lockout was the third lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . It lasted from July 1, 1998 to January 20, 1999, and forced the 1998–99 season to be shortened to 50 games per team and that season's All-Star Game to be canceled...
canceled half the season.
In the early days of the NBA on Christmas Day, regional proximity dictated most of the matchups. Teams would usually play their geographical rivals to cut down on holiday travel and allow them to have more time with their families. According to Dr. Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay
Jack T. Ramsay is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" . He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio...
, coach of the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
from their only championship season of 1976–77
1977 NBA Finals
The 1977 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1976-77 NBA season. The Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference played against the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference, with the 76ers holding home-court advantage. Their 4 regular season meetings had been...
to : "Christmas meant being at home with the family and having a game we always won. That was a perfect Christmas to me." He has the most coaching victories on Christmas Day, with 11, a record that Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
tied in .
In the early 1980s, after three straight years of memorable moments involving the New York Knicks, including Bernard King
Bernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
scoring 60 points in , the most ever scored by a player on Christmas Day, and with the advent of television, the NBA scheduled games over the holiday as a showcase featuring the best teams and players.
Teams and players
The Knicks have played the most games on Christmas Day, with 46, and are 21–25 on the holiday. Their most recent appearance on the holiday came in when they beat the Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
103–95 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. During the 1990s, each Christmas (except for 1998) revived the rivalry between both teams, as it featured a game involving either (or both) team(s). The Knicks' 21 wins are the most by a team on Christmas Day.
Some of the players and coaches that have played on this day besides Bernard King, Dr. Jack Ramsay and Phil Jackson include Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
, Julius Erving
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
, LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
, Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
, Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
, Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
, Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
, Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
, Ray Allen
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...
, Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
, Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
,, Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
, Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy
Stanley A. "Stan" Van Gundy is the head coach of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. From 2003 to 2005, he was the head coach of the Miami Heat but resigned in 2005 mid-season, turning the job over to Pat Riley...
, Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...
, and Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
. Some of them have participated on Christmas Day as both a player and a coach. Doc Rivers participated as a player with the Knicks in and as a coach with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
from to . Bryant has played more games on Christmas Day than he has on any other date on the calendar, playing his first in , and most recently in the . Jackson, who also participated as a player and coach, being part of at least 20 of them, coached during the holiday every year since (except for 1995 and 2004) until his retirement at the end of the and won his 1,000th game on Christmas Day in 2008, when the Lakers beat the rival Celtics in the first game of a rematch of that year's finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
.
Many teams and players that have played on this day have worn special uniforms and sneakers. Since 2009, the Knicks wear their third jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
, the green/orange alternate which they first used exclusively on St. Patrick's Day games since the season. During the game between the Heat and the Lakers in 2010, players on both teams wore holiday sneakers, including lime-green Nike kicks on Bryant, Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
and Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
. James and Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh
Christopher Wesson Bosh is an American professional basketball player who plays power forward for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association ....
wore holiday-red shoes with garish green laces. Since the , teams playing on Christmas Day wear a patch featuring the NBA logo inside a snowflake
Snowflake
Snowflakes are conglomerations of frozen ice crystals which fall through the Earth's atmosphere. They begin as snow crystals which develop when microscopic supercooled cloud droplets freeze. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Complex shapes emerge as the flake moves through...
.
Memorable moments
The NBA playing on Christmas Day has featured some of the most memorable games ever played, including Bernard King scoring 60 points for the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 1984, Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
helping the Knicks come back to beat the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
after trailing by 25 points in 1985, and again beating Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and the Bulls on last second jumper in 1986, Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
's last second block in 1994, the first showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as opponents in 2004, Phil Jackson becoming the fastest coach to win 1,000 games in 2008, showdowns between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010, and Opening Day of the season as a result of a lockout
2011 NBA lockout
The 2011 NBA lockout is the fourth lockout in the history of the National Basketball Association . The owners began the work stoppage at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2011. The main issues dividing the owners and the players are revenue sharing and the structure of the salary cap...
.
Rivalries have also been showcased during games played on this day. For example, during the 1990s, each Christmas featured a game involving either the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls, with both teams playing against each other in both the Bulls championship season of 1992–93
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
and , and would have played each other in 1998, if there had not been a lockout. The only year during the 1990s in which neither team played on Christmas Day was during the Bulls first championship season in their second three-peat, in 1995–96
1996 NBA Finals
The 1996 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1995-96 NBA season of the National Basketball Association. The Seattle SuperSonics of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference, with the Bulls holding home court advantage...
. In the mid-2000s, the NBA scheduled games between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers to showcase the Shaq–Kobe feud.
Scheduling and broadcasting
Scheduling of games on the holiday is quite compelling, as it is the day the first ever NBA games air on network television during a particular season.After a season's NBA Finals comes to an end, officials from both the NBA and the broadcast network that broadcast the NBA meet to plan the schedule of games over the holiday during the upcoming season. In most cases, two of the teams that play during the holiday are the teams that reached the finals the previous season. The NBA usually tries to have the best players play against each other. Some examples of this include and , when the defending champions of those seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
played at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
in 2009 and the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
in 2010, so that they could have showdowns between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James both times.
Broadcasting
The first telecast of an NBA game on Christmas Day dates back to the league's early years. In 1947, the Providence SteamrollersProvidence Steamrollers
The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....
played in New York
Madison Square Garden (1925)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the third of that name. It was built in 1925 and closed in 1968, and was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near...
against the Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on WCBS
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
channel 2 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Stan Lomax and Bob Edge called that particular game. Approximately 15 minutes later, at 8:15 p.m. Central Time
Central time
Central time can refer to:*North American Central Time Zone*Central European Time*Central Standard Time Australia...
, Joe Wilson broadcast the game between Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore Bullets
Baltimore Bullets has been the name of three different basketball franchises:* Baltimore Bullets , an American Basketball League franchise and National Basketball Association franchise that folded in 1954....
and Chicago Stags
Chicago Stags
The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois, U.S..- Franchise history :The Chicago Stags were founded in 1946 and folded in 1950. Despite their short history, they were able to acquire the draft rights to a young Bob Cousy in a trade with the Tri-Cities...
for WBKB
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
channel 4 in Chicago
Chicago Stadium
The Chicago Stadium was an indoor sports arena and theater in Chicago. It opened in 1929, and closed in 1994.-History:The Stadium hosted the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL from 1929–1994 and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA from 1967–1994....
.
The first nationally televised Christmas Day NBA broadcast occurred in , when ABC broadcast a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Diego Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
from San Diego. Jerry Gross and Jack Twyman
Jack Twyman
John Kennedy "Jack" Twyman is an American former professional basketball player and sports broadcaster.-Playing career:...
called that particular broadcast for ABC. ABC would continue to televise Christmas Day games on through . The remainder of these broadcasts, emulated from Phoenix
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair...
. Chris Schenkel
Chris Schenkel
Christopher Eugene "Chris" Schenkel was an American sportscaster. Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.-Early life and career:Schenkel began his broadcasting career at radio...
did play-by-play for ABC during this period with the exception of , when Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson
Keith Jackson is an American sportscaster, known for his long career with ABC Sports , his coverage of college football , his style of folksy, down-to-earth commentary, and his distinctive voice, with its deep cadence, and operatic tone considered "like Edward R...
had the honors. Jack Twyman remained in the color commentating position up until , when Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
took over.
From - (with the exception of ), CBS broadcast a game on Christmas Day. However, it was not until that the games became a household tradition, when CBS broadcast the game between the New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and the New York Knicks and ESPN broadcast the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
(Sam Smith and Dick Vitale
Dick Vitale
Richard J. "Dick" Vitale , also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well-known as a college basketball broadcaster and for the enthusiastic and colorful remarks he makes during games. He is known for his...
were on the call for ESPN). In the 1990s, NBC broadcast a doubleheader each year on Christmas Day and this has continued after ABC took over in . However, in 2004 and 2006, ABC broadcast only one game. For three years (2004–2006) ABC insisted on having a Christmas Day game between the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
so that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal could play against each other. Since ABC took over the NBA, ESPN has also broadcast games on Christmas Day (except in 2006). Since 2009, Christmas Day broadcasts on ESPN/ABC have featured a music video featuring Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You." In 2010, Carey was featured singing "Oh Santa!
Oh Santa!
"Oh Santa!" is a pop song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Island Records on October 11, 2010 as the lead single from her second Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You . The song was co-written and co-produced by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox...
"
In , TNT broadcast on Christmas Day for the first time as Marv Albert
Marv Albert
Marv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Including Super Bowl XLII, Marv has called...
, Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
and Craig Sager
Craig Sager
Craig Sager , is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter"....
broadcast the game between Washington
2008–09 Washington Wizards season
The 2008–09 Washington Wizards season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period will start....
and Cleveland
2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season
The 2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 39th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
in Cleveland
Quicken Loans Arena
Quicken Loans Arena , is a multi-purpose arena, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States....
and Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan
Kevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
, Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
and Cheryl Miller broadcast the game between Dallas
2008–09 Dallas Mavericks season
The 2008–09 Dallas Mavericks season is the 29th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft will take place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period will start....
and Portland
2008–09 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 2008–09 Portland Trail Blazers season is the 39th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association .-Key dates:*June 26: The 2008 NBA Draft took place in New York City, New York.*July 1: The free agency period started....
in Portland.
As noted above, Christmas is the day that network television tips off its NBA season and they do so with a doubleheader of the best teams.
Reception
Playing on Christmas Day has been considered an honor, as it's not only a chance to play on national television, but also a reward for having a great team and great players. Boston Celtics Coach Doc RiversDoc Rivers
Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers is a former professional basketball player and the current head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. Rivers was known for his defense while playing in the NBA...
said in 2009 before a showdown against the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
at Amway Arena that he that he "tends to look at it as a reward," and in 2010, called it an "honor" to be part of the marquee games. Lamar Odom
Lamar Odom
Lamar Joseph Odom is an American professional basketball forward with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.-Early life:...
of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
called it "a tremendous privilege to be able to entertain the world. You understand the privilege of playing on TV in those games, but there are some times where I wish I could just be normal, be a normal family man." The Lakers have played every year on Christmas Day since , but would have played every year since 1998 if there had not been a lockout. In 2010, Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni
Mike D'Antoni
Michael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
said that players should be "very fortunate" to be playing on Christmas Day and that "it helps the league, and...it helps other people on Christmas or on the holidays."
During broadcasts of NBA games, commentators and the news media have said that Christmas Day has been considered the best day of an NBA regular season and that games played serve as a preview of a potential series in the playoffs, and perhaps, the finals.
Criticism
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, as it was the first time since their brawl that the two teams were facing each other. While their obvious concerns were valid, this criticism was somewhat unjustified because the entire regular season is scheduled before it begins, so the other three Pistons-Pacers games had already been scheduled when the first (the game ending with the brawl) took place. However, the fans and players at the game at Conseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...
were well-behaved and there were no incidents. The day's other game, between the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
marked the first time since the Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
to the Heat that the two teams were facing each other and the first time that Shaq and Kobe Bryant would be facing each other as opponents. These complaints didn't exist during the 1990s when the NBA scheduled games involving the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.
Recently, players and coaches have complained about playing on Christmas Day, saying that it's time away from families. In 2009, Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy
Stanley A. "Stan" Van Gundy is the head coach of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. From 2003 to 2005, he was the head coach of the Miami Heat but resigned in 2005 mid-season, turning the job over to Pat Riley...
said that the NBA shouldn't be playing on Christmas Day, saying "I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game" and said that the day is best spent with family. The Magic was fined for his comments. However in 2010, he said that the NBA should play more games on Christmas Day.
In 2010, LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
and Lakers coach Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
complained. Jackson said that "I don’t think anybody should play on Christmas Day. It’s like Christian holidays don’t mean to them anything any more." Jackson gave his comments from having coached during the holiday quite often in the 1990s while with the Bulls and in the 2000s with the Lakers and won his 1,000th game on the holiday in 2008. James said of playing on the day: "If you ask any player in the league, we'd rather be home with our families...It’s definitely one of those days that you wish you could wake up in the morning with the kids and open up presents." However, before the game between the Knicks and the Bulls, the players on the Knicks disagreed. Coach Mike D'Antoni said "I can adjust a little bit. I can open my presents up at 7 o’clock at night instead of 7 o’clock in the morning." Although Raymond Felton
Raymond Felton
Raymond Bernard Felton, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association . A point guard, Felton is listed at 6'1 and 205 lbs. Felton played college basketball for the North Carolina under head coach Roy...
said that "you'd rather be with your family. We're still going to celebrate," he, like many players, said that he was fortunate to have played with his family in attendance. Because of all of this criticism of missing Christmas family time, in 2010 all family members of players were recommended by the league to attend for free.
Television ratings
Games played on this day have garnered some of the highest ratings for a regular season NBA game on television.In 2009, the game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks drew the highest rating of the for an NBA game on ESPN, earning a 1.9 with 2.6 million viewers.
In 2010, the game between the Heat and the defending champion
2010 NBA Finals
The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference...
Los Angeles Lakers drew a 6.4 rating on ABC, the highest for an NBA game on ABC since the game between the two teams on Christmas Day in 2004, which drew a 7.3 rating.