The NBA fought again on Christmas, and reminded us it nonetheless runs this vacation

The largest speaking level of the NBA season so far has been about why the NBA sucks now. It feels just like the narrative began through the lackluster 2024 NBA All-Star Recreation (a meaningless exhibition!), and has fully unraveled since. It’s not possible to observe a sport on tv with out legendary former gamers telling you the way a lot better the sport was 30 years in the past. It’s not possible to go on on-line with out seeing informal followers give their very own causes for why NBA rankings are down whereas the diehards get defensive about it.

The largest complaints, in no specific order: groups shoot too many threes, there are too many blowouts now, star gamers are all the time injured or resting, the tip of video games take too lengthy, and so forth. All of those points may have come into give attention to Christmas, the league’s massive day within the highlight with 5 nationally televised video games and one thing just like the unofficial season opener for informal followers. The NFL including two video games to the Christmas day slate solely made issues extra treacherous: soccer is king, and it was coming for the NBA’s marquee vacation.

Because the nation turned its eyes to the sorry state {of professional} basketball, one thing wild occurred: the NBA delivered nice sport after nice sport. In the meantime, the NFL gave us two duds that required a subscription service simply to observe. Go away it to LeBron James to place it greatest after an exhilarating, final second Los Angeles Lakers win over the Golden State Warriors: “I really like the NFL, however Christmas continues to be our day.”

The basketball was superb all day lengthy. The soccer slate featured one sport that was completely unwatchable (thanks for nothing, Houston Texans) and one other that featured the kind of inevitable champion within the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs that was as soon as used as proof for why the NBA isn’t compelling. Right here’s an actual sizzling take for you: each leagues are great, however the NBA used Christmas to remind us why how nice these video games will be after they’re simply accessible and the celebs give us their greatest effort.

The Lakers-Warriors showdown had no proper to be so charming. Each groups are caught in Western Convention play-in vary and have kind of botched the tip of James’ and Stephen Curry’s historic careers. Properly, wins and losses in Dec. imply loads for 2 middling groups hoping to make the playoffs, and this sport had the depth of a playoff ambiance. Credit score James and Curry for delivering within the highlight: they mixed for 69 factors, and every hit massive pictures late.

In fact, it was Austin Reaves who ended the sport because the hero after his driving layup previous Andrew Wiggins gained it for the Lakers within the closing seconds.

The Christmas slate received off to a fantastic begin from the primary sport of the day, with the New York Knicks internet hosting Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Sq. Backyard. This was the largest highlight sport of Wembanyama’s profession halfway by way of his second professional season, and the previous No. 1 general draft decide placed on a present for the world to see. The 7’5 French wunderkind put up 42 factors, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists whereas hitting six three-pointers and enjoying 40 minutes.

If this was informal followers’ introduction to the 20-year-old alien, then it couldn’t have gone any higher. The NBA hopes Wembanyama would be the face of the league after LeBron and Curry and Kevin Durant retire, and anybody watching that sport can inform he’s off to a great begin.

For as spectacular because the numbers are, they don’t actually do justice to the odd phenomenon of watching Wemby. He routinely does issues you’ve gotten by no means seen earlier than whereas nonetheless simply scratching the floor of what he’ll someday grow to be.

The Knicks nonetheless got here away with the win in crunch-time because of some ridiculous mid-range shot-making from Mikal Bridges and a gutsy offensive rebound from Josh Hart.

Isn’t the mid-range alleged to be useless? I assumed NBA gamers don’t play onerous? Properly, each of these false narratives had been blown up in epic vogue to anybody watching this sport. Bridges seemed like prime Kevin Durant the way in which he was splashing pictures from mid-range along with his go-go gadget arms. Hart is all coronary heart, hustle, and muscle.

The Knicks are 20-10, filled with stars, and will proceed to get higher of their first season with Karl-Anthony Cities. If Wembanyama is the long run face of the league, the Knicks could possibly be the NBA’s most vital crew with the Lakers and Warriors trending down.

The opposite three video games had been compelling, too. The Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the Dallas Mavericks regardless of a giant fourth quarter comeback led by Dallas star Kyrie Irving. Irving’s shot-making is simply ridiculous even in defeat.

The Celtics–76ers matchup figured to be a dud with Boston cruising and Philly caught in a season from hell, however even this sport supplied a fantastic watch. Joel Embiid really performed for Philly for simply the ninth time all season, and dropped 27 factors in 31 minutes. Co-star Tyrese Maxey had 33 factors and 12 assists. The Celtics ripped away from three-point vary — 20-of-49 on the night time for a scalding 40.8 % clip — and nonetheless misplaced.

The Suns beat Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets within the nightcap. Then Kevin Durant spent all night time tweeting at random followers who criticize the NBA.

The NBA’s issues aren’t all overblown. The largest offender to the concept the gamers “aren’t enjoying onerous” is just that there are too many video games. If Wilt Chamberlain may play each minute of each sport whereas followers smoked cigarettes within the stands, why can’t the spoiled children of as we speak do the identical? Properly, there’s simply too a lot bodily pressure placed on the physique within the “Spaced Out period” — with extra floor to cowl rapidly than ever earlier than. The talent degree of the NBA has by no means been larger, the athleticism has by no means been extra profound, and the teaching retains leveling up.

It wasn’t all excellent. Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic every went down with accidents. Devin Booker didn’t play with a groin pressure, and Jamal Murray performed poorly getting back from an ankle harm. For essentially the most half, although, the basketball was nice, and considerably higher than the soccer, which was principally highlighted by Beyonce’s halftime present.

The NBA nonetheless has it’s justifiable share of issues, however when the video games are simple to observe and the gamers are invested in placing on a present, it could ship on the highest ranges. At the very least for a day, the league nonetheless confirmed how vivid it could shine. Everybody agreed that the Christmas product was nice.

Can the NBA really construct off this? We’ll see. For a supposedly struggling league, although, this slate was precisely what it wanted.