As the LA Lakers took the court to face the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, but with the NFL also scheduling games on the same day, NBA star LeBron James issued a bold warning for pro football.
“Christmas is our day,” he warned the NFL.
The Lakers-Warriors game was definitely a battle. After the Warriors’ Steph Curry tied the game with a 3-pointer with just 7.1 seconds remaining and the Lakers’ Austin Reaves made a shot in the final seconds to win the game, Christmas Day was a tough day for the Lakers.
Several other NBA games were also close on that holy day. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 117-114. Meanwhile, the 76ers had a four-point win over the Celtics, 118-114, and the Timberwolves beat the Mavericks, 105-99. The biggest margin was when Phoenix defeated Denver 110–100. All these games remained exciting till the end, without any explosion.
Meanwhile, the NFL scheduled two games for Christmas Day, and neither of them had much to write home to Santa about. The Chiefs defeated the Steelers 29–10 in the finals, while the Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 31–2.
Despite the loss, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said he would like the NFL to expand its Christmas program and make it a permanent part of the holidays.
“Christmas Day is Christmas Day, and it doesn’t wait what day it is. We want to be there on Christmas Day,” Jones said in a recent radio interview. “I think no matter what the future holds, we’ll be there on Christmas.”
But the mere presence of NFL games on Christmas Day frustrated James New York Post,
“Merry Christmas to my family at home. I’m coming home,” James told ESPN after the game. “And I love the NFL. I love the NFL. But Christmas is our day.”
Still, James has reason to worry. With the NBA’s ratings falling annually, any encroachment on its TV turf is a serious threat.
In fact, last year the NFL overtook the NBA. On Christmas Day, the Raiders-Chiefs game received 31 million viewers, while the NBA received less than 11 million viewers across all five games.
This year, with two NFL games on the big day, the NBA was sure to be even more affected by the disparity in viewership. When all the ratings are ready, we will get complete information in a few days.
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