JJ Redick and Tim Legler sat down recently for a special Christmas Day Pregame Show on The Old Man and the Three podcast. The two former NBA stars discussed the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule and ended up making their own fixtures for the auspicious day. Both Legler and Redick chose five games each to complete their schedule for the day.
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However, Legler decided to snub LeBron James and his NBA Cup Champion Los Angeles Lakers squad in his Christmas Day plans. Redick seemed very amused by the idea that the former Golden State Warriors guard left out both LeBron James and Kevin Durant in his schedule. But Legs had a suitable explanation to justify his contentious decision.
In his last fixture for the night, Legler went with the Dallas Mavericks playing the Golden State Warriors. “You gotta get Luka [Doncic] in there. And you gotta get Steph [Curry] in there. So I have got Dallas at Golden State,” the 56-year-old said. “You do see I left somebody out.”
“You left LeBron out!” Redick blurted out, almost bursting into laughter. “Obviously, they [the Lakers] deserve to be there,” Legs went into damage control mode to save himself from angry LA fans with pitchforks. “From a pure, just entertainment standpoint, watching the Lakers play isn’t as entertaining, for me personally. It’s subjective,” he added.
Legler further pointed out that LeBron James really doesn’t have a rival in the NBA right now. Therefore, the Lakers’ inclusion in the Christmas Day games wouldn’t have any predominant storyline that could excite fans.
This might not be a valid reason to omit LeBron James from Christmas Day fixtures, but Legler is not at fault for picking Luka Doncic. Rivalries do drive traffic in the NBA and Doncic’s tussle with Devin Booker is arguably the hottest NBA rivalry right now. The NBA’s decision to organize a rematch of Game 7 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals at the Footprint Center is no doubt a smart move.
However, Luka will have to channel his Game 7 form to outscore a Devin Booker and Kevin Durant-led Suns offense. Kyrie Irving has been ruled out of the matchup because of a right heel contusion.
LeBron James will play the Celtics on Christmas
The Lakers will welcome the Boston Celtics at home tonight in what may turn out to be another memorable Christmas Eve for LeBron James. Despite Legler’s remarks, fans are eager to watch James perform just days aways from his 39th birthday.
If past records are anything to go by, we might expect fireworks at Crypto.com Arena. Because the King holds the record for most points scored and most wins secured on Christmas Day. While analysts and pundits had predicted a slow 21st year for LeBron, the 38-year-old is still doing chasedown blocks and fastbreak dunks on the NBA floor while averaging MVP-caliber numbers. So fans should switch off their TVs at their own risk.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the West with a record of 16-14. They would be looking to edge out the top-seeded Boston Celtics to earn some breathing space before a new year.
