Long before the 2019-20 NBA season began, the league settled on its schedule. And while the bulk of the games were chosen as basic logistical puzzle pieces, the league built the schedule around a few key dates, with carefully selected games.
One of those dates? December 25.
The NBA takes Thanksgiving off, opting to give the NFL full shine on that holiday. But on Christmas? That’s where the NBA goes all out.
Over the years, the NBA has built its way up to a five-game slate on Christmas day, with all five games being nationally televised, and most of the games being marquee matchups.