Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ thrilling win over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, LeBron James called out the NFL in his postgame interview ESPN.
James became the NBA’s all-time leader in Christmas Day victories this year, capturing his 11th win on this holiday. The future Hall of Famer led the Lakers in scoring with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting. He also dished out 10 assists in a 115-113 victory. It was an impressive performance considering the Lakers lost Anthony Davis to an ankle injury in the first quarter.
After the Lakers picked up the win, James turned his attention over to the NFL’s Christmas slate. Despite his love for football, he believes Christmas belongs to the NBA.
“Christmas is our day,” James told ESPN.
Some fans joked that Goodell would take this message personal and schedule five games on Christmas next year. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise us if the NFL goes all out next holiday season.
LeBron to the NFL: pic.twitter.com/6rvo5OncTt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2024
Back in April, Goodell made it clear that he plans on scheduling NFL games every Christmas for the foreseeable future.
“I think we’ve looked for those opportunities where we can create an event out of it,” Goodell said. “You know, holidays? That’s what we do. Thanksgiving has been our biggest day of football for years. You know, we saw it. I think we averaged 30 million people for the Christmas games over the last four or five years. So, for us, that’s where our fans are. I don’t ask permission for that. We go where the fans are. We’re going to go and we’re going to find a way to satisfy that.”
As for the NBA, it’s no secret they want to keep playing games on Christmas Day. That’s been a tradition for so long. With that said, James is hoping Nike can bring back festive uniforms next year.
“Not having Xmas day unis anymore really sucks! That was a great feeling walking into the locker room and seeing those. It was literally like receiving a present,” James wrote on X. “Whomp whomp!”
We’ll see if the NBA levels up its Christmas Day production in 2025.
Related: LeBron James Calls Out Nike Before NBA’s Christmas Games