The stars are out.
Christmas Day is the annual National Basketball Association coming out party and this Christmas Day, the NBA is offering six contests, four of the games on over-the-air TV whether the players like it or not. Christmas is just another day. There are games to be played and audiences that want them. The National Hockey League doesn’t schedule games on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the old English holiday, and even has a placed a halt on trades over the holiday season from December 19 until the 27. But sports is entertainment and if movie theaters are open and showing new films, why not have sports events?
The NBA usually owns Christmas Day TV programming with top match ups made for TV and it really kicks off the season even though about a third of the year has already been played. There are six games, the first on ESPN, Boston and Toronto, three on ABC, Milwaukee at Philadelphia, Houston taking on the defending champions Golden State in a game that will not have Warriors star power because of injuries. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers taking on arena rival, the Los Angeles Clippers on ESPN and ABC. The day ends with an ESPN game, Zion Williamson’s team, New Orleans at Denver. The NBA will have as many stars on display as possible. Usually, the NBA is pretty much the only game in town on Christmas Day and markets itself that way. There are no college football bowl games but college basketball games are scheduled in Hawaii. The college basketball industry gets back into full mode on December 26 which means Christmas is a travel day for student-athletes. Sports never takes a holiday off. Everyday a sports league is not in the public eye is a day lost where revenues can be made.
