It is the NBA’s Christmas Party.
Christmas Day has become the annual National Basketball Association coming out party and this Christmas Day, the NBA is offering five contests, three of the games on over-the-air TV whether the players like it or not. Years ago, National Hockey League Public Relations Director Frank Brown pointed out that everyday a sports league is not in the public eye is a day lost. 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 and Christmas Day 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 sports?
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 five games, the first on ESPN, Philadelphia and New York, three on ABC, a rematch of the 2017 Finals with LeBron James and Cleveland going to Oakland to play Golden State followed by Washington-Boston then Houston-Oklahoma City. The NBA TV day ends on TNT with Minnesota and Los Angeles. The NBA will have as many stars on display as possible. Usually, the NBA pretty is the only game in town on Christmas Day and markets itself that way. But this is not the case this year. There is NFL action with two games going head to head with the NBA. There are no college football bowl or basketball games on Christmas Day but the college sports business kicks back into gear on December 26 which means Christmas is a travel day. Sports never takes a holiday off. Everyday a sports league is not in the public eye is a day lost.
A couple of NFL games too.
