National Basketball Association Christmas games

Games held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Christmas Day, December 25, have been an annual tradition since the league's second season in 1947.[1] Currently, five games are played on Christmas. Unlike the National Football League (NFL)'s traditional Thanksgiving Day games, the NBA's Christmas Day games have no fixed opponents; rather, they feature some of the best teams and players.[2] Very often a rematch of the previous season's NBA Finals are showcased on Christmas Day.

History

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers (left) and Phil Jackson (right) have participated on Christmas Day as both player and coach. Jackson is tied for the most coaching victories on Christmas Day and won his 1,000th game as a coach on Christmas Day in 2008.
Kobe Bryant (left) has played the most games on Christmas Day of any player. He has played against LeBron James (middle) twice and played alongside Shaquille O'Neal (right) five straight years, but against him three times.

The first NBA game played on December 25 came in 1947, a year after the NBA's inception, when the New York Knicks beat the Providence Steamrollers at Madison Square Garden 89–75.[1] Since then, the NBA has played games every year on Christmas Day except in 1998 (when a lockout canceled half the 1998–99 season). This makes the NBA the only league to regularly schedule games on December 25.[1]

In the early days, regional proximity dictated most of the matchups.[3] Teams would usually play their geographical rivals to cut down on holiday travel and to allow them to have more time with their families.[3] According to Dr. Jack Ramsay, who coached the Portland Trail Blazers from 1976–77 (their only championship season) to 1986, "Christmas meant being at home with the family and having a game we always won. That was a perfect Christmas to me."[3] He set the record for most coaching victories on Christmas Day with 11, an achievement that Phil Jackson later matched in 2008.[4]

In the early 1980s, the New York Knicks put on a show three years in a row. In one game (1984), hall-of-fame forward Bernard King scoring 60 points—the most ever scored by a player on Christmas Day,[1] With the advent of television and the excitement caused by these games, the NBA decided to scheduled games over the holiday that showcased the best teams and players.[3]

Teams and players

The Knicks have played the most Christmas Day games than any other team, with 49 total. They are 22–27 on the holiday.[5][6] Their most recent Yuletide appearance came in 2013 when they were defeated by the Oklahoma City Thunder 123–94 at Madison Square Garden. It was the worst loss by a home team on Christmas Day in NBA history.[7] The Knicks have a checkered history on the 25th. Their 22 wins are the most by a team on Christmas Day.[4] Their 27 losses are the most too.

Some players have participated on Christmas Day as both player and coach. Doc Rivers played with the Knicks in 1992 and coached the Boston Celtics from 2008 to 2013. Phil Jackson, who also participated as a player and coach, has been a part of at least 20 holiday games,[8] coaching on Christmas every year from 1990, with the exception of 1995 and 2004, until his retirement at the end of the 2010–11 season. He won his 1,000th game on Christmas Day in 2008.[4][9]Kobe Bryant has never coached on Christmas, but he has played 16 games on that day, the most of any player. In fact, he has played more often on Christmas than on any other date on the calendar, playing his first in 1996 and his last in 2015.[1][10]

Many teams and players that have played on this day have worn special uniforms and sneakers.[11] From 2009 to 2011, the Knicks wore their third jersey, the green/orange alternate which they first used exclusively for St. Patrick's Day. During the game between the Heat and the Lakers in 2010, players on both teams wore holiday sneakers. Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom wore lime-green Nike kicks[11] while James and Chris Bosh wore holiday-red shoes with garish green laces.[11] From 2008 to 2011, teams playing on Christmas Day wore a patch featuring the NBA logo inside a snowflake. Since the 2012–13 season, the NBA and Adidas produced special uniforms for the Christmas games. All of these uniforms feature a particular theme, such as monochromatic designs ('Big Color') and chrome-treated logos ('Big Logo'). Starting in 2015, Stance provided Christmas-themed socks for the games.

Memorable moments

The NBA Christmas-Day contests have featured some of the most memorable games ever played.[2][12] Bernard King scored 60 points for the New York Knicks in 1984. Patrick Ewing helped the Knicks come back to beat the Boston Celtics after trailing by 25 points in 1985. He then beat Michael Jordan and the Bulls on a last-second jumper in 1986. Scottie Pippen performed a last-second block in 1994.

The first showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as opponents occurred on Christmas, 2004. 2009 and 2010 featured faceoffs between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.[3][13][14][15] Phil Jackson becoming the fastest coach to win 1,000 games (it happened on December 25, 2008).[9] In 2012, Kobe Bryant became the all-time Christmas Day scorer with 383 points, surpassing Oscar Robertson who scored 377 points.[16]

As a result of a lockout in 2011, Christmas Day was also the season opener.[17] ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy talked about that day, saying, "It's a different opening day than has ever happened in the past and Christmas Day games have always been a big day for the NBA. This unique situation combined with the unveiling of a championship banner for the Mavericks in a finals rematch, and then to see the Lakers and the debut of Mike Brown as head coach, those things are all going to be very compelling."[17]

Rivalries have also been showcased during games played on this day. During the 1990s, every Christmas but one featured a game involving either the New York Knicks or the Chicago Bulls, with the two teams playing against each other twice (in the Bulls championship season of 1992–93 and in 1994).[18][19] They would have met a third time in 1998, if there had not been a lockout.[20] The only year during the 1990s in which neither team played on Christmas Day was during the Bulls first championship season in their second three-peat, in 1995–96.[21] During the 2000s, the NBA showcased the Shaq–Kobe feud. Since 1999, each Christmas has featured games involving either the Celtics or the Lakers, with both teams playing on the holiday in 2002 and every year since 2008. In a great pairing, the two teams faced off against each in other during the first of the Lakers' most recent back-to-back championship seasons of 2008–09. This was the first meeting between the two teams since the finals of the year before.

The home team is 142–75 in Christmas games. The winning percentage of .654 for the home team on Christmas Day is better than the overall winning percentage for home teams during the regular season or the playoffs since 1992.[1]

Christmas Day standings

Of current NBA franchises.[22]

Team Last Game Wins Losses Win Pct. Previous team names
Atlanta Hawks 1989 911.450 Tri-Cities Blackhawks (1949–51)
Milwaukee Hawks (1951–55)
St. Louis Hawks (1955–68)
Boston Celtics 2012 1217.414
Brooklyn Nets 2013 45.444 New Jersey Nets (1977–2012)
Charlotte Hornets Never 00– Charlotte Hornets (original) (1988–2002)
Charlotte Bobcats (2004–14)
Chicago Bulls 2015 137.650
Cleveland Cavaliers 2015 66.500
Dallas Mavericks 2011 21.667
Denver Nuggets 2012 14.200
Detroit Pistons 2005 1022.313 Fort Wayne Pistons (1948–57)
Golden State Warriors 2015 1114.440 Philadelphia Warriors (1946–62)
San Francisco Warriors (1962–71)
Houston Rockets 2015 54.556 San Diego Rockets (1967–71)
Indiana Pacers 2004 22.500
Los Angeles Clippers 2015 68.429 Buffalo Braves (1970–78)
San Diego Clippers (1978–84)
Los Angeles Lakers 2015 2121.500 Minneapolis Lakers (1948–60)
Memphis Grizzlies Never 00– Vancouver Grizzlies (1995–2001)
Miami Heat 2015 102.833
Milwaukee Bucks 1977 22.500
Minnesota Timberwolves Never 00–
New Orleans Pelicans 2015 02.000 New Orleans Hornets (2002–05, 2007–13)
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005–07)
New York Knicks 2014 2228.440
Oklahoma City Thunder 2015 413.235 Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008)
Orlando Magic 2011 54.556
Philadelphia 76ers 2001 1613.552 Syracuse Nationals (1949–63)
Phoenix Suns 2009 126.667
Portland Trail Blazers 2010 143.824
Sacramento Kings 2003 1811.621 Rochester Royals (1948–57)
Cincinnati Royals (1957–72)
Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972–75)
Kansas City Kings (1975–85)
San Antonio Spurs 2015 46.400
Toronto Raptors 2001 01.000
Utah Jazz 1997 42.667 New Orleans Jazz (1974–79)
Washington Wizards 2014 157.682 Chicago Packers (1961)
Chicago Zephyrs (1962)
Baltimore Bullets (1963–73)
Capital Bullets (1973)
Washington Bullets (1974–97)

Scheduling and broadcasting

After a season's NBA Finals comes to an end, officials from both the NBA and the network that broadcast the NBA meet to plan the schedule of games for the holiday during the upcoming season.[3] In most cases, two of the teams that play during the holiday are the teams that reached the finals the previous season, and often a rematch of the NBA Finals is scheduled.[3] The NBA usually tries to have the best players play against each other.[3] Some examples of this include 2009 and 2010, when the defending champions of those seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers played at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 and the Miami Heat in 2010, so that they could have showdowns between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James both times.[3][11]

Broadcasting

A woman wearing a long black gown. She has long golden hair and is holding a sparkling microphone. She is standing on a large red stage, surrounded by dancers in white attire. Additional background scenery include the audience and three background singers wearing white ensembles and standing on a large platform.
Since 2009, Christmas Day broadcasts of the NBA feature Mariah Carey in a music video singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" and "Oh Santa!" ("Oh Santa!" since 2010)

The first telecast of an NBA game on Christmas Day dates back to the league's early years. In 1947, the Providence Steamrollers played in New York against the Knicks on WCBS channel 2 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Stan Lomax and Bob Edge called that game. Fifteen minutes later, at 8:15 p.m. Central Time, Joe Wilson broadcast the game between Baltimore Bullets and Chicago Stags for WBKB channel 4 in Chicago.

The first nationally televised Christmas Day NBA broadcast occurred in 1967, when ABC broadcast a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Diego Rockets from San Diego. Jerry Gross and Jack Twyman called that broadcast for ABC. ABC would continue to televise Christmas Day games through 1972. Chris Schenkel did play-by-play for ABC during this period with the exception of 1970, when Keith Jackson had the honors. Jack Twyman remained in the color commentating position up until 1971, when Bill Russell took over. From 1975-1989 (with the exception of 1982), CBS broadcast a game on Christmas Day.

However, it was not until 1983 that the games became a household tradition, when CBS broadcast the game between the New Jersey Nets and the New York Knicks and ESPN broadcast the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers (Sam Smith and Dick Vitale were on the call for ESPN).[12] In the 1990s, NBC broadcast a doubleheader each year on Christmas Day and this has continued after ABC took over in 2002, except that in 2004 and 2006, ABC broadcast only one game. For three years (2004–2006) ABC insisted on having a Christmas Day game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers so that Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal could play against each other. Since ABC took over the NBA, ESPN has also broadcast games on Christmas Day (except in 2006). Since 2009, Christmas Day broadcasts on ESPN/ABC have featured a music video with Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for Christmas Is You."[23][24] In 2010, Carey added "Oh Santa!"[24]

In 2008, TNT broadcast on Christmas Day for the first time as Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Craig Sager called the game between Washington and Cleveland in Cleveland and Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Cheryl Miller called the game between Dallas and Portland in Portland. This marked the first time that all three networks that cover the NBA (ABC, ESPN, and TNT) produced games on Christmas Day. This happened again in 2011 when TNT broadcast their next Christmas game, the very first game of the 2011–12 season. It was a contest between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with Albert (himself a former Knicks broadcaster) calling the game with Steve Kerr.[17] ABC broadcast the Dallas Mavericks raising their 2011 Championship banner during their pre-game show. This marked the first time in NBA history that a pre-game championship banner ceremony has been aired on a terrestrial television network; either Turner Sports or a regional sports network aired the ceremonies in previous years.

Reception

Mike D'Antoni said that the players should feel "very fortunate" to play on Christmas Day and said that they could adjust their schedules a bit.

There has been controversy surrounding the tradition of NBA games on Christmas Day. Certainly there is praise. It's not hard to find fans, players, coaches, spokespeople for the networks that broadcast the NBA, and members of the news media who support the tradition. For players and coaches, the standard public statement is that a Christmas game is an honor, as it's not only a chance to play on national television, but also a reward for having a great team and great players.[3]

Before the game between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic at Amway Arena in 2009, personnel on both sides referred to playing on Christmas as a reward. Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said that like most of the players, he always watched Christmas Day games growing up. He said, "As a kid, you wanted to be on Christmas...I tend to look at it as a reward."[25] In 2010, added that it was an "honor" to be part of the marquee games, saying, "I look at it as a privilege. The fact that they asked us to play on Christmas means we're one of the good teams, one of the featured teams."[26] Magic Center Dwight Howard said that he didn't "see a challenge. We're playing basketball on Christmas. We couldn't help it. If you play on a pretty good team and if you have to play on Christmas, so be it. I enjoy it. I'd rather be playing on Christmas than sitting at home wishing I was playing on Christmas. I like it. I think it's fun."[12]

Lamar Odom called it "a tremendous privilege to be able to entertain the world...playing on TV in those games."[3] In 2010, Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni said that players should be "very fortunate" to be playing on Christmas Day and that "it helps the league, and...it helps other people on Christmas or on the holidays."[19]

Doug White, an ESPN executive, said that Christmas is "Thanksgiving on the NBA side. Obviously, Christmas Day is a day when everybody is home, everybody is relaxing, and what better way to serve them than with as many games as we possibly can...We try to put on the best games possible that people have interest in."[27] Jermaine O'Neal on the Celtics agreed, saying, "It's special because the whole world is watching. It's Christmas, it's a special day, with everybody together to spend time with each other, as far as family and friends. We have the opportunity to do that, bringing our families down with us. It makes it that much more special—the opportunity to play in front of the rest of the world and be together at Christmas with our family."[26]

During broadcasts of NBA games, commentators and the news media have agreed with White and said that the nature of the games played has made Christmas Day the best day of an NBA regular season. They serve as a preview of a potential series in the playoffs, and perhaps, the finals.[8][24]

Criticism

The Orlando Magic was fined in 2009 after Coach Stan Van Gundy said that the NBA shouldn't be playing on Christmas Day.

In recent years, players and coaches have complained about playing on Christmas Day, saying that it's time away from families.[28] In 2009, Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy requested that the NBA do not schedule any more games on Christmas Day, saying "I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game" and said that the day is best spent with family.[25] The Magic coach was fined for his comments.[28]

In 2010, there were complaints from both sides before the game between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, son of two Christian ministers and author of a book on spiritual growth related to basketball, said, "I don't think anybody should play on Christmas Day" and "it's like Christian holidays don’t mean...anything any more."[29] From the Heat, LeBron James said, "if you ask any player in the league, we'd rather be home with our families...It's not just a regular holiday. It's...one of those days that you wish you could wake up in the morning with the kids and open up presents."

Others have managed to voice some discontent while still accepting the Christmas game tradition. Before the game between the Bulls and the Knicks in New York, Coach Mike D'Antoni said, "I can adjust a little bit. I can open my presents up at 7 o'clock at night instead of 7 o'clock in the morning."[19] Raymond Felton said, "you'd rather be with your family. We're still going to celebrate." He, like many players, said that he was fortunate to have played with his family in attendance.[19] Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau said, "I think it's an honor and a privilege to be playing. I know it's tough on the away team, particularly the players who have kids. But that's all part of it."[18] Derrick Rose said, "I'm going to miss my family, and I hate being away from home. But this is my job and it's an honor to be playing on Christmas."[18]

Certain controversial match ups that are necessary during the season seem distasteful at Christmas time. In 2004, the NBA was criticized for scheduling a game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. It was the first time since their brawl that the two teams had faced each other.[30] Such a pairing was simply bad luck: the regular season was scheduled before the brawl took place.[30] Nonetheless, the potential melee seemed unseemly during the holiday that proclaims "Peace on earth, good will towards all." Fortunately, the fans and players at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indiana were well-behaved, and the Christmas spirit reigned.[31]

Strangely, the other game scheduled that day drew similar criticism. The battle between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center marked the first time since the Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat that the two teams were facing each other and the first time that Shaq and Kobe Bryant would be facing each other as opponents.[13] Apparently, the NBA saw this meeting of giants as a rivalry similar to 1990s when the NBA scheduled games involving the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls.[19] They found that some portion of the audience found the O'Neal/Bryant matching as more personal, and not appropriate for the Yuletide.

The NBA doesn't schedule games on Christmas Eve, December 24, to allow players and coaches who have to play on Christmas Day to be with their families.[28] Also families of players and coaches who participate in Christmas games, normally attend the games.[28]

Television ratings

The NBA's Christmas games have garnered some of the highest ratings for any televised regular season NBA game.

In 2009, the game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks drew a 1.9 share with 2.6 million viewers, the highest rating for an NBA game on ESPN during the 2009–10 season.[27]

In 2010, the games that aired on ABC and ESPN delivered the highest cumulative audience ever. ABC's doubleheader averaged a 5.5 rating and ESPN's three telecasts averaged a 1.8 household coverage rating, the highest averages for either network when airing multiple NBA games on Christmas Day.[32] The game between the Heat and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers drawing a 7.3 rating, making it the second-highest rated NBA regular season game on ABC, trailing only the game between the two teams on Christmas Day in 2004, which drew a 7.9 rating.[32][33][34] Because of the nature of the Heat-Lakers game, Miami guard Dwyane Wade had a new commercial unveiled nationally on Christmas.[28]

In 2011, due to a lockout, the regular season started with the Christmas games. These games drew larger audiences than the games in 2010.[34] The games averaged 6.2 million viewers,[34] with the Bulls–Lakers game drawing a 6.5 rating, the third-highest rated NBA regular season game on ABC, and the Celtics–Knicks game on TNT drawing a 4.0 rating, making it the most-watched Christmas game on cable.[34] The game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors drew a 2.3 rating, making it the highest-rated Christmas prime-time game on ESPN.[34] The Associated Press said of the large audiences: "NBA fans seem more excited about basketball's return than bitter about the lockout based on television ratings for the league's delayed openers."[34]

References

Inline citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schuhmann, John (December 17, 2009). "Knicks, Kobe and more part of Christmas Day lore". NBA.com. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Christmas: Three Wise Matchups". NBA.com. December 23, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Eisenberg, Jeff (December 24, 2009). "Christmas Tradition". The Riverside (Ca.) Press-Enterprise. p. B1.
  4. 1 2 3 "Gasol sparks Lakers' late run to end Celtics' win streak". ESPN. Associated Press. December 25, 2008.
  5. ↑ Newman, Joshua (December 25, 2012). "Celtics-Knicks Notebook". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ Robinson, Joshua (December 24, 2010). "Agony and Ecstasy on Christmas Day; From a 62-Point Defeat in 1960 to Bernard King's 60 Points in 1984, the Knicks Have Seen It All". Wall Street Journal. p. A23.
  7. ↑ Mahoney, Brian (December 25, 2011). "Knicks edge Celtics 106-104 on Anthony foul shots". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Extra Hype in This Round of James vs. Bryant". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 25, 2010. p. B12.
  9. 1 2 Nadel, John (December 26, 2008). "Lakers Claim Finals Rematch; Celtics' 19-Game Win Streak Snapped". Washington Post. p. E1. Thursday's victory was the 1,000th for Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.
  10. ↑ Beacham, Greg (December 25, 2011). "Bulls rally to stun Lakers on Rose's winner". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Beacham, Greg (December 25, 2010). "LeBron has triple-double, Heat rout Lakers". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 Garcia, Art (December 21, 2009). "Christmas Day clashes bring back fond memories". NBA.com. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  13. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (December 25, 2004). "ABC Treating O'Neal-Bryant Showdown As Showcase". New York Times. p. D1.
  14. ↑ Adande, J.A. (December 25, 2004). "Hosannas or Humbug?; O'Neal hopes for Christmas cheer, but Laker fans may not be in mood". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
  15. ↑ Sandoval, Greg (December 26, 2004). "Shaq Serves Holiday Stuffing; In Rivals' Showdown, Bryant Has 42, But O'Neal Wins". Washington Post. p. E1.
  16. ↑ "NBA game: Knicks at L.A. Lakers Recap: Kobe Bryant scores 34 as Lakers drop Knicks to win 5th straight". ESPN.com. December 25, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 Mahoney, Brian (December 2, 2011). "Magic-Thunder, Clippers-Warriors set for Christmas". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  18. 1 2 3 Greenstein, Teddy (December 25, 2010). "Bulls don't need a holiday break; Thibodeau, players proud to be chosen for marquee slot". Chicago Tribune. p. 2.1.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Beck, Howard (December 25, 2010). "Feeling Fuzzy About Holiday Slot". New York Times. p. B11. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  20. ↑ Rosenbloom, Steve (November 29, 1998). "Selling Point". Chicago Tribune. p. 1. The NBA told NBC it has canceled the Bulls and the rest of the traditional Christmas doubleheader—Bulls-Knicks and Lakers-Suns.
  21. ↑ DuPree, David (December 26, 1995). "Magic ground Rockets 92-90". USA Today. p. 1C.
  22. ↑ "ALL-TIME CHRISTMAS DAY RECORDS – ACTIVE NBA FRANCHISES". National Basketball Association. December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  23. ↑ Hoppes, Lynn (2009-12-17). "Behind the scenes with Mariah Carey". ESPN.
  24. 1 2 3 Mariah Carey NBA Christmas Special 2010 on YouTube
  25. 1 2 "Humbug: Magic's Van Gundy opposed to NBA on Christmas". USAToday.com. Associated Press. December 25, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  26. 1 2 Forsberg, Chris (December 22, 2010). "Doc Rivers likes Christmas games". ESPNBoston.com. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  27. 1 2 Finn, Chad (December 24, 2010). "Working holiday for NBA: Five games, but not all in the spirit". The Boston Globe. p. C2.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 Reynolds, Tim (December 22, 2010). "Christmas games can be tough on those involved". USAToday.com. Associated Press. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Phil Jackson Complains That NBA Schedules Games on Christmas Day". NESN.com. Associated Press. December 22, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  30. 1 2 "Christmas Day rematch 'makes me sick'". ESPN.com. ESPN. December 21, 2004. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  31. ↑ "Indiana's O'Neal shows rust in return". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 25, 2004. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  32. 1 2 "Five games deliver record ratings on Christmas Day". NBA.com. December 27, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Heat-Lakers draws best rating since 2004". USA Today. Associated Press. December 27, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "TV ratings rise for NBA's season openers on Christmas Day". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Associated Press. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
Bibliography
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