When the NBA announced its Christmas Day schedule, some fans were happy, others were disappointed. But there are only five games on Christmas, and it is tough to make the cut. Truth be told, some players might want the extra rest. Giannis Antetokounmpo, for his part, loves the big scene and would love to play on Christmas. But he had a small chance of making it this year. Here is why.
Giannis and SGA Had Slim Chances for Christmas Game – Here is Why
With a total of five games and ten teams, it is hard to make the NBA Christmas Day schedule. And when you are not the defending champion or regular season MVP winner, things get harder.
Out of the ten teams playing this year on Christmas, we can say eight of them were locks. The Boston Celtics are the defending champion, and they are naturally a lock to play on Christmas. The New York Knicks have one of the biggest fan bases and Christmas games began in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have played the most Christmas games in the NBA, and this will be their 56th game. The Philadelphia 76ers are the only other Eastern Conference teams making the cut, and they have Joel Embiid, who was the regular season MVP two years ago. The league made a choice between Giannis and Embiid, and they went with the latter.
On the west side, there are three players that are locks for a Christmas game. Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and LeBron James might play on Christmas until they retire. As long as they are healthy and playing, the league will schedule its brightest and biggest stars for Christmas. Sadly, they all play in the Western Conference, making it harder for West teams to find a way in. That is why we have seven Western Conference teams this year.
Then, we have the Denver Nuggets, a team featuring Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP and the last one to get the reward. They are a lock as well. The San Antonio Spurs have reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, dubbed the future of the league, making his debut on Christmas.
The two teams left in the West are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks. The Timberwolves have the best young American player in Anthony Edwards, while the Mavericks have the best young international player, Luka Doncic. Like in the East, the NBA made a decision between Luka and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, and it went with the former. Both of them are young, international stars with MVP potential, but the league chose Doncic this time.
NBA Christmas Day Full Schedule
Let’s quickly look at the full NBA Christmas day schedule:
- San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks (Noon ET)
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks (2:30 p.m. ET)
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics (5 p.m. ET)
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors (8 p.m. ET)
- Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns (10:30 p.m. ET)
Why Do the Knicks Always Play on December 25?
The New York Knicks are the record-holders for most games on Christmas. They started the tradition, with the first-ever Christmas game in 1947 at Madison Square Garden. Just one year after the NBA began, the Knicks hosted the first Christmas game, beating the Providence Steamrollers 89-75. Since then, the NBA has had a Christmas Day schedule every year except 1998, when the league was in a lockout.
The last time the Knicks didn’t play on Christmas was in 2020. The year before, they finished 17-65, last in the Eastern Conference, and the league had little reason to put them on the schedule. Fun fact: once they returned to play on Christmas in 2021, Kemba Walker had the first-ever triple-double in a Knicks uniform on Christmas.
So far, the Knicks have played 55 games on Christmas, going 23-32 in the process. Their signature arena, Madison Square Garden, and crazy fan base make the Knicks a lock, no matter if the team is good or not.
Which Team Has Not Played on Christmas?
There is only one team that has never played on Christmas, and that is the Charlotte Hornets. Since their inception in 1988, the Hornets have yet to make the NBA Christmas Day schedule. That includes the franchise’s second stint as the Charlotte Bobcats from 2004 to 2014.
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