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Over the years, games on Christmas Day have become one of the NBA’s most cherished traditions, as they have evolved into a national stage for the league’s brightest stars and biggest rivalries.
It is among the many ways of the NBA to give back to fans, who spend money on tickets or tune in on TV (or whatever streaming platform these days) to watch their favorite players on the hardwood on Christmas Day.
But this year, the NBA had stiff competition: The NFL.
Historically, the NFL did not schedule games on Christmas Day, opting instead to hold holiday affairs on Thanksgiving Day. This year, however, was different, as it organized a triple-header.
The NFL’s big move didn’t sit well with NBA legend Charles Barkley.
“The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourselves, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now. Christmas is an NBA day,” said Barkley on “Inside the NBA” on Wednesday, as posted by Front Office Sports.
Charles Barkley is taking shots at the NFL for barging in on the NBA’s tradition of owning Christmas. pic.twitter.com/6X7VEkzFmj
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 25, 2025
It was a strongly worded remark from Barkley that would make Scrooge McDuck proud. But it’s par for the course for the outspoken Hall of Famer. It will now be interesting to see if Goodell or NFL players will clap back.
Some NBA players like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green have admitted that playing on Christmas Day is a chore, but they still show up because they have to do their job and they want to make the fans happy.
They say the yuletide season is a time to spread love. Just don’t tell that to Barkley.
The post Charles Barkley takes shot at NFL ‘pigs’ for trying to steal Christmas from NBA appeared first on ClutchPoints.
