For many WCHS students, holidays are not just about family gatherings or big meals. They are also about the games being played on television. Over the past decade, the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) have expanded their holiday schedules, creating an ongoing debate among fans about which league truly defines Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everybody who watches these sports has an opinion, but it gets even messier for fans who watch both.
“I have always watched the NFL on Thanksgiving,” WCHS senior Ryan Nudelman said. “My dad, my grandpa and I would sit around the television every year, and it became our tradition. The games just feel like part of the holiday itself.”
Thanksgiving football has deep roots in American culture, and the annual Lions and Cowboys game helps anchor this tradition. Students who grew up with those broadcasts often see the NFL as inseparable from the holiday. The NBA, meanwhile, has not built the same legacy on Thanksgiving, leaving most students to associate the day almost entirely with football.
“I think the NBA definitely owns Christmas, but they have no real argument for Thanksgiving,” Nudelman said. “There are always advertisements, special uniforms and big matchups. The league makes Christmas feel like a major event every year. That is unique, but the NFL has the exact same thing for Thanksgiving, while the NBA does not.”
While the NFL has begun scheduling more Christmas games, especially in years when the holiday falls on a weekend, the NBA remains the face of Dec. 25. For decades, the league has reserved the date for its highest-profile players, carefully curated matchups and all-day programming that draw in casual and serious fans alike.
“[The basketball slate] is more classic than the NFL’s,” WCHS junior Coby Tolin said. “Everyone knows about the NBA Christmas games. They always put the biggest stars on national TV, and it feels like something special that only happens once a year.”
This year’s NBA Christmas schedule reflects that reputation, with Cavs versus Knicks, Spurs versus Thunder, Mavericks versus Warriors, Suns versus Lakers and Timberwolves versus Nuggets. The slate stretches from early afternoon to late evening, creating a full day of basketball that is designed to keep viewers engaged from start to finish.
“The NFL only has three games, but the NBA gives you five and they are all spaced out,” Tolin said. “You can watch one game end and the next game begin. It feels like a whole-day celebration instead of a short window.”
Although the NFL has experimented with Christmas broadcasts, including scheduling games even when the holiday falls in the middle of the week, many fans still feel uncertain about the league’s long-term role in the holiday. Questions often arise about fairness to players and conflicts with family traditions. Still, others believe that the opportunity to play on a national holiday outweighs the drawbacks.
“I think some of the players want to play on Christmas,” Nudelman said. “They still get time with their families, especially if they are the home team, and fans want to watch football with their families too. There should be a balance, though, especially depending on when Christmas falls during the week.”
Thanksgiving, however, remains firmly in the NFL’s hands. The tradition of the Lions and Cowboys playing every year gives the day continuity and nostalgia that the NBA does not match on any holiday. Students who watch annually often view that consistency as part of what makes Thanksgiving sports so meaningful.
“The Lions and Cowboys always playing adds to the magic,” Tolin said. “It is a tradition that feels like it belongs to football. Not every sport has something like that. The thing is, it really only works because the NFL always has Thursday games.”
Christmas, on the other hand, remains more flexible for the NBA. There are no permanent teams attached to the holiday, allowing the league to rotate matchups based on star power and rising storylines.
“It is always the big marketed teams that play on Christmas for the NBA, and the ones with big players,” Tolin said. “They are not going to have Josh Giddey be the number one star on Christmas. They are going to have LeBron James play against someone like Steph Curry. That is something people want to see.”
