NBA legend Charles Barkley is not happy with the NFL for scheduling three games on Christmas Day.
Historically, the holiday is a huge day for the NBA, with the league putting on multiple nationally televised games with its best players and teams while other major sports leagues take the day off.
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However, in 2020, the NFL started scheduling at least one Christmas game every season, even when the holiday falls on a day in which the NFL does not usually schedule games.
During ESPN’s NBA pregame show on Thursday, Dec. 25, Barkley shared his true feelings on the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell taking over what used to be solely an NBA day.
“The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourself, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now,” Barkley said. “Christmas is an NBA day.”
2025 marks the 78th year the NBA is holding games on Christmas Day.
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RELATED: What NFL Games Are on Christmas Day?
What NBA games are on Christmas Day?
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks at 12 p.m. ET
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at 2:30 p.m. ET
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Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors at 5 p.m. ET
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Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 8 p.m. ET
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m. ET
What NFL games are on Christmas Day?
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The Washington Commanders vs. the Dallas Cowboys at 1 p.m. ET.
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The Minnesota Vikings vs. the Detroit Lions at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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The Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Denver Broncos at 8:15 p.m. ET
RELATED: NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley Shows Off Dramatic Weight Loss
Barkley played in the NBA from 1984 to 2000, and was the NBA’s most valuable player in 1993 while with the Phoenix Suns. He won two Olympic gold medals as a part of the U.S. men’s basketball team, including the famous 1992 “Dream Team.”
He’s also a two-time inductee into the NBA Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team.”
Since his retirement, he has become a well-known sports commentator and analyst.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.