Christmas Day is the NBA’s version of “The Price is Right’s” Showcase Showdown.
It’s the premier day of the regular season, the day that the scheduling office reserves for the biggest cities, the biggest teams and the biggest names. Yes, the day that generates the biggest ratings, the day that gets advertisers bidding higher and higher for a chance to promote their products in commercial breaks. And on this Christmas Day, the NBA has turned to the Utah Jazz to fill one of those slots.
Why?
Well, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, of course.
Mitchell is now one of the league’s poster stars, appearing as a big part of major events like All-Star Weekend and the NBA Draft. His battle against fellow Adidas marketing partner and first-team All-NBAer Damian Lillard is the biggest reason the league and ESPN thought that people would fight through the eggnog fatigue and stay tuned until the 8:30 p.m tip off.
Gobert, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, is a star in his own right, but he also helps the league sell its games overseas. For example, he was a major reason the Jazz will play a 3 p.m. game in February against San Antonio, in an effort to appeal to that international demographic.
Last year’s on-court success spurred on by these two players — and the rest of a deep roster, of course — caught the attention of the NBA’s decision makers. And while, for the second year running, the start to the season has been troublesome for the Jazz, the players want a chance to strut their stuff on the brightest stage.
“The best teams in the world are playing, it’s great for us," Gobert said. "It’s kind of a reward for all of the work we’ve put in the last few years. And it’s a good opportunity for the world to see what we can do.”
For most of the Jazz’s roster, it’s their first time playing on Christmas Day. Mitchell recalled some of the best moments he remembers from a lifetime of watching Dec. 25 basketball on TV. "I loved the Miami one in L.A., when Wade and LeBron put on a show. When D-Rose won in L.A., when he hit the game winner. I went to a Knicks one when I was younger, I don’t remember when.”
It’s easier for Mitchell to remember games from this decade than it is for those few Jazz organization holdouts from 1997 to remember what happened the last time the Jazz played on Christmas Day. In those 21 years that have elapsed, most of those who were there have since moved on to other things, and for those remaining, the memories of Jazz’s 107-103 win over the Houston Rockets that day have been eclipsed by the six-game war against the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals and the two NBA Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998.
Thabo Sefolosha understands that. He played on four consecutive Christmases, from 2010 to ’13, while his Oklahoma City Thunder were the talk of the league thanks to his superstar teammates in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook — plus an emerging James Harden. But when asked about those games, he remembers just the last one, a blowout win against the Knicks. That game was in New York. He’s thankful he gets this Christmas Day game at home, to spend more time with his family in Salt Lake City.
“It’s a big plus for us to play at home, for us to play in front of our fans with our family around," Sefolosha said. "We enjoy that. It’s an honor to play on Christmas.”
There’s some thought that the Jazz’s boisterous fanbase may have played a role in getting the game in Salt Lake City, thanks to the atmosphere last April in the Jazz’s home games against Oklahoma City. “There’s arenas where seats are full, and then there are rowdy fans. There’s a difference,” Kyle Korver said. “There’s a few rowdy cities in the NBA, and I would consider Salt Lake one of them.”
Jae Crowder, a two-time Christmas Day veteran, appreciates the atmosphere.
“It’s a special day, you have family in town, and the world is watching," he said. "There’s just some good basketball to be played, and it’s a good day to play it on. Good energy, good vibes.”
Gobert’s family is in Salt Lake City for the occasion as well. He’s watched the Christmas games for years and now, he’s finally received the gift he’s been wanting for a long time.
“I always thought that it would be good to play, to be a part of it,” Gobert said. "It’s finally come true.”
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