LeBron James on Wednesday unwrapped a message for the NFL because the league continues its push to schedule video games on Christmas Day, a vacation that sports activities followers sometimes affiliate with NBA video games.
“I really like the NFL, I really like the NFL however Christmas is our day,” James informed ESPN’s Lisa Salters as he pointed to the courtroom then darted to the locker room after the Los Angeles Lakers’ thrilling 115-113 win over the Golden State Warriors.
The NFL, which has performed a recreation on Christmas Day since 2020, struck a deal with Netflix this 12 months for the streaming large to solely broadcast a minimum of considered one of its contests on the vacation by means of 2026.
Netflix reportedly paid roughly $150 million (about $75 a recreation) to the NFL to air this 12 months’s doubleheader, which included a pre-taped, pregame efficiency of Mariah Carey singing “All I Need For Christmas Is You” and Beyoncé’s halftime show throughout the Baltimore Ravens’ dominant win over the Houston Texans.
The NBA has performed its video games on Christmas Day because the league’s second season in 1947 and a minimum of one contest has featured the defending NBA champions since 1995.
Wednesday’s Lakers-Warriors recreation featured stellar performances by superstars James and Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, iconic calls from NBA commentator Mike Breen and Curry’s game-tying 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left within the recreation.
Lakers capturing guard Austin Reaves would later be a Grinch for Golden State followers as he banked in a game-winning layup with only one second remaining.
He grew to become simply the 10th player in league historical past to have a triple-double in a recreation on Christmas Day.
James, who was requested about his history of on-court battles with Curry after the sport, pointed to the Warriors star not too long ago declaring that it’s OK to accept that the “end is near” for his career as a result of it permits him a possibility to “get pleasure from what’s occurring proper now.”
“And for us, we don’t know what number of instances we’re going to have the ability to have this matchup, we don’t know what number of instances we’re going to have the ability to step on the ground,” mentioned James, who’s celebrating his fortieth birthday on Monday.
“However after we do, we attempt to give them – give [them] a recreation they deserve…”
