LeBron James Declares Christmas Belongs to NBA After Lakers’ Win Over Warriors
LeBron James sparked a controversy after declaring that Christmas belongs to the NBA after the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Golden State Warriors. However, his statement was quickly challenged by NFL viewership numbers. The NFL’s two games on Christmas averaged 24.2 million viewers on Netflix, a significant increase over the NBA’s 5.2 million viewers across five games.
James acknowledged the NFL’s strong performance, saying, “Listen, I saw the f—— numbers, after the fact, you guys kicked our a– alright?” He also attributed the NFL’s success to having Beyoncé perform during halftime. James, who walked back his initial statement during a recent appearance on “New Heights,” suggested that the NFL’s strong viewership was similar to a “big brother” beating up on a “little brother.”
James’ Lakers are currently 20-17 this season, and the team is set to play the Miami Heat at home on Wednesday. The NBA and NFL often compete for ratings on major holidays like Christmas, and it remains to be seen how they will fare next year when the holiday falls on a Thursday.