The NBL has become a groundbreaking organisation and that will continue on Christmas Day as it becomes the first professional sporting league in Australia to play on the special occasion with the Sydney Kings hosting Melbourne United.
Basketball in Christmas is nothing new with it a highlight of every NBA season, but in Australia until now no professional sporting league has been brave enough to bite the bullet to play on the day.
Watch the first ever NBL Christmas Night clash between Sydney Kings v Melbourne United 6:30PM AEDT on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
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The NBL will be the first to do so at 6.30pm AEDT on Christmas Day at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney with the Sydney Kings playing host to Melbourne United.
It’s opened up plenty of debate over if it’s a good idea or not and the proof will be in the pudding over what sort of crowd turns out and how many people watch on TV. The reality is the BBL, A-League and other summer sporting codes in Australia will be watching closely.
THE OCCASION
As always, Sydney owner Paul Smith had no trouble talking up the occasion on a number of fronts from niggling with the Melbourne opponents to trumpeting what the Kings are doing in the lead-up.
“The preparation is going real well. We’ve had a big recruit this week, S Claus has joined the team, No. 25 so he will be there. It’s going to be a big night,” Smith said.
“The Melbourne turkeys are flying north for the Christmas party so we’re going to invite them up and we’ll have a good night. But they’re going alright, the cockroaches. They are strong and are going to be hard to beat.”
The Kings have fully embraced the occasion even playing up the ‘signing’ of Santa Claus who will be wearing No.25 for the day.
They have gone as far as holding a mock press conference with him, followed his training to get himself ready for the game and he’s talking a big game.
It’s all in good fun and Santa had a good time talking it up.
“The Kings are bringing a basketball game to Christmas, how good is that,” Santa Claus said.
“And I thought you can’t have Christmas without the MVP of Christmas, me. So I called up Chris Pongrass (Kings chief executive) and told him I’m going to play on Christmas Day.
“Christmas is magical, Santa brings magic to Christmas with magic to the defence, magic to the Kings and magic to the kingdom of the Kings. I’m going to be there and I’ll help out the coach and the team wherever I can to be part of the team.”
Kings coach Chase Buford will be giving Santa the chance to help some of his team’s weaker points too.
“Well Santa is experienced at giving away free presents right, we’ve been giving away too many presents at the foul line this season so we’re hoping he can come in and correct some of those mistakes,” Buford said.
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On a more serious front, Buford is excited to be part of the NBL making Australian sporting history.
“For me growing up in a basketball family, as soon as 12.30 came around and there was the first tip off, that’s all that was on the rest of the day,” Buford said.
“Then going to coach in the NBA and playing a few times on Christmas it was always a special occasion. Everybody’s in the holiday spirit and you see the security people there in Santa hats and everything like that. Hopefully everyone just enjoys it and has a great time with it.”
United guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes is another who grow up with watching NBA on Christmas being a big part of the festive celebrations, and also can’t wait to be part of the first NBL game for the day.
“It can be a bit of a challenge but I remember growing up and watching Christmas Day games back home in the US, and watching Kobe playing on Christmas,” Rathan-Mayes said.
“You would always dream of playing on Christmas Day and I remember on Boxing Day after watching the games on Christmas and you would go buy the new shoes of the superstar players.
“To be able to play on Christmas Day is special and it’s something I’m looking forward to, and I hope all the guys all are as well. It’s my first opportunity to play on Christmas and I am super excited for that.”
Watch the first ever NBL Christmas Night clash between Sydney Kings v Melbourne United 6:30PM AEDT on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
THE GAME ITSELF
Not that the occasion isn’t big enough already, but the NBL couldn’t hope for a better game to promote on Christmas Day with the last two NBL champions locking horns.
The Kings are the reigning NBL champions and looking to regain top spot in the standings this season with a win on Christmas while United, the 2021 champs, just need to keep winning to stay in the playoff hunt.
There’s a terrific natural rivalry between the two teams from Sydney and Melbourne with no love lost between the two teams which only helps set the scene for what should be a cracking contest whether it was played on Christmas or not.
Sydney currently sits in second spot at 11-5 following the double overtime loss to the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Gippsland on Sunday where their import point guard Derrick Walton Jr exploded for 45 points and 10 assists.
Melbourne will be playing on Friday night in an open air game at John Cain Arena against the Cairns Taipans before turning their focus to taking on the Kings on Sunday, but United just have no choice but to keep winning.
United have an 8-11 record coming into Round 12 and any more losses and playoffs are becoming more and more out of reach for them setting the tone for a crucial match up for both teams on Christmas Day.
Kings coach Chase Buford knows that this United team with Shea Ili and Marcus Lee in the line-up, and with Rayjon Tucker, Chris Goulding and Isaac Humphries playing well will be a tougher test than the one they’ve beaten by a combined 38 points in the first two NBL23 clashes.
“They are playing good basketball and they’ve got Shea Ili back who is obviously really important to them,” Buford said.
“We’re really excited to be playing them and looking forward to it. They gave us a couple of losses last year, we’ve put a couple on them this year and I’m looking forward to that game for both parties.”
A big factor in the final result could very well be if the Kings have MVP fancy Xavier Cooks available to play or not. He hurt his ankle against the Illawarra Hawks back on December 16 and then tried playing on Sunday against the Phoenix, but wasn’t good to go.
The Kings will give him every chance to prove that he’s right to play but at the same time Buford won’t be taking any risks with his superstar no matter the occasion.
“We are still going to have to see how the week goes for him,” Buford added.
“It was something he sustained in Illawarra and I think he just never got a chance to test it going into the game, and the first time he went out there he was probably not quite ready yet. He’s a quick recoverer and works hard so hopefully we see him out there on Sunday.”
THE DEBATE
Becoming the first Australian professional sporting league to play on Christmas Day is always going to open up a debate over whether or not it’s a day where sport should be played.
There are obviously arguments heading in both directions.
For former Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks forward Cody Ellis, it’s not something he’d be a big fan of himself if it took him away from family, but at the same time he can’t wait to see how it all goes.
“As a family man, I don’t like it but it’s something we’ve seen in the NBA a lot and it’s been successful,” Ellis said on Hoops Heaven’s Basketball Hustle podcast.
“That’s a whole different entity, though, and I do feel for a lot of the United guys with families and I think it makes it really hard.
“Good on the NBL for trying it and being the first ones to do it, and Sydney has been the ones to push that to want to host it and all that, including recruiting Santa. They’ve done all the right things around it but I just think it’s tough especially for Melbourne.
“It’s not just the players, you’ve got the refs, support staff and all the people working at Qudos Bank Arena. They all have to give up their Christmas Day so it’s not just the players I feel for, it’s everyone involved who will have to leave their families on a day where it perhaps shouldn’t happen.
“I do think it’s a good idea to try it and it will have a lot of eyes on it from the other leagues around Australia to see how successful it is.”
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Adelaide 36ers Hall of Famer and three-time NBL champion Scott Ninnis has an interesting relationship with Christmas over his life given his birthday is also December 25.
That’s led to frustration of not getting a birthday celebration separate, but in the bigger picture, he’s all for the NBL playing on Christmas Day.
“I love it. You sort of watch from afar the NBA Christmas Day games that are huge and it will be really interesting what sort of reaction it gets,” Ninnis said.
“We’re a bit more traditional here I think with our Christmas Days and spending time with the family, but I’ll be watching the game.
“By that late afternoon on Christmas Day when everyone’s having a nap, it will be nice to stick on the TV and watch an NBL game. I like it and I like trying new things.
“I know there’ll be people saying you shouldn’t mess with these sacred days or whatever you want to call it, but I like the idea of trying new things.
“We pioneered New Year’s games and they were a tremendous success so I like the idea of it and it will be interesting before that what sort of turnout we get here in Adelaide on Christmas Eve.”
Meanwhile, Kings coach Chase Buford is a big fan of the concept.
“I think it’s great,” Buford said.
“I mean everybody has different traditions they celebrate on Christmas but at the end of the day once the night time comes down a lot of people are sitting down on their couch and might be looking for something to watch.
“Everybody loves live competitive sport so we’re happy to put it on and the guys are fired up to go and play. I think it’s going to be a great night of basketball.”
WHEN AND WHERE
The game will tip-off at 6.30pm AEDT on Christmas Day from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
Tickets are still available to attend in person while it will also be shown live through Kayo, ESPN and Channel 10.
Kings owner Paul Smith is buoyed by the way the build up is tracking.
“Ticket sales are tracking really well,” Smith said.
“There’s a lot of interest even though people have been busy this week with all their holiday stuff but we’re ready to go. It’s going to be an occasion for everyone, at home or for the game wherever you, you are going to enjoy it.”
