LeBron James is disappointed that Christmas belongs to the NBA after the NFL preview was revealed
The NFL used to do almost everything it could to avoid Christmas.
Now, the league schedules games on Wednesdays to go into the holiday break.
Christmas was known as the unofficial start of the NBA season – the season actually starts two months earlier – with classic matchups.
On Wednesday there were five regular NBA games throughout the day, while two NFL games started.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. (Photos by Darren Yamashita/Imagn)
After an exciting Christmas night for Lakers-Warriors, LeBron James made a bold claim that NBA ratings are down and the NFL is as popular as ever.
“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” he said.
The numbers say otherwise.
It should be noted that the NBA had a good day by its standards, reaching 5.2 million viewers on Wednesday, its most for the holiday in five years.
James' game against Stephen Curry and the Warriors reached 7.7 million viewers, reaching 8.3 million. The 10:30 pm ET game between the Suns and Nuggets was also the biggest window of all time with 3.8 million viewers.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives over Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
But the NFL still dominates, reaching 24.2 million viewers for the Chiefs-Steelers and Texans-Ravens games despite both games being broadcast on Netflix.
James has been thrown down on social media.
NFL games will be played on five different days in Week 17 when all is said and done. Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays are regular game days, and Saturday games are played later in the season.
Christmas falls on a Thursday next year, so maybe the NFL will load up on the same with its Thanksgiving tripleheader.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James shakes hands with a teammate during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
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The NFL's Christmas viewership did not match the Thanksgiving numbers, while the NBA's ratings improved after a decline earlier in the season.
But it's clear that the NFL is king, no matter the day.
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