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Reviewing the best moments of Christmas day in all the sports of the 21st century
The holiday season is a joyous and important time for many. Although this year’s plans will be affected by the ongoing pandemic, there are still opportunities to continue the traditions in a safe way.
One of the oldest traditions in sports has been the NBA’s Christmas Day games. Every year since 1947 (with the exception of the 1998 season shortened by the lockout), at least one basketball game has been played on Christmas Day. But this year, that tradition seemed unlikely, as the pandemic halted the NBA season in March and they couldn’t wrap it up until October. Such a rapid change seemed unlikely, until it wasn’t. When the NBA decided to start its season on December 22, it gave the green light to continue its annual Christmas Day games. With Pelicans-Heat, Warriors-Bucks, Nets-Celtics, Mavericks-Lakers and Clippers-Nuggets on the schedule this Christmas, fans will be able to sit back and enjoy the tradition.
When Christmas comes around on any given day, there are opportunities to play more than just basketball. This year, the Vikings will visit the New Orleans Saints on December 25 in a matchup that could have playoff implications. Due to COVID-19, many leagues and sports are not on their normal schedule, so this year might not be as active when it comes to sporting events. Still, in the spirit of the holidays, The Aggie remembers the many memorable sporting moments that have happened on Christmas Day this century.
Former championship teammates face off in Los Angeles
Even after winning three consecutive championships together between 2000 and 2002, the fallout between fellow superstars Shaquille (Shaq) O’Neal and Kobe Bryant reached a breaking point in the offseason following their NBA Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons. Their historic and public feud led to O’Neal being sent to the Miami Heat, and on Christmas Day 2004, the Heat and Lakers were scheduled to meet, the first time Kobe and Shaq faced each other.
The showdown was highly anticipated and lived up to expectations. In an exciting overtime game, both teams battled through a rowdy crowd from the Staples Center that showed their appreciation for O’Neal, even cheering him on in pregame introductions. After O’Neal committed his sixth foul late in the fourth quarter, then-fellow rising star Dwyane Wade supported him, finished with 29 points and 10 assists and ultimately led the Heat to a 104-102 victory. Bryant scored 42 points and six assists, a game-high, but missed what would have been the triple-winner in overtime.
The game lived up to expectations, and with the whole basketball world watching, they both delivered a memorable game.
Thriller in Hawaii
In a regular college football season, the end of December marks the start of the bowling season. Since games start around December 20 of each year, games generally progress from teams that barely made a bowl game to contenders, meaning the earlier the bowl game, the “worse” the team is. But in 2003, the Hawaii Bowl had everyone bypass the records as they played out an unforgettable triple overtime thriller.
In what was a momentum back-and-forth game between the Houston Cougars and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, the teams entered overtime tied at 34. Both teams threw punches, but neither refused to go down. In the first two overtime, both teams scored touchdowns. In the third overtime, Hawaii’s Michael Brewster put them ahead, but missed the conversion by two points, giving the Cougars a chance to win. With everything on their last possession, Houston couldn’t hit the end zone, giving Hawaii a bowl victory behind Timmy Chang’s 475 yards and five touchdowns.
Christmas Day Recovery
The bitter rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers reached another chapter during the 2008 NBA Finals. When the two storied franchises clashed for the championship once again, the Celtics would be the ones to come out on top, winning Game 6 by 39 points and capturing his first championship of the century. On Christmas Day 2009, the two met again with a bitter taste in their mouths from Los Angeles.
The Celtics went into 19-game winners in a row, a franchise record, but the Lakers were determined to break that streak. In front of a sold out crowd from Staples Center, the Lakers were able to walk away late, winning by a final score of 92-83. Bryant had a night of 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists. His running mate Pau Gasol added 20 points and five assists, in addition to scoring seven points in the final three minutes that helped the Lakers to victory.
The Lakers not only got their revenge in that win, but history was made that afternoon as well. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson achieved his 1,000th win from the bench, the sixth coach to reach the milestone and the fastest to do so. The Lakers would win the 2009 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, and in 2010, their rematch reached the starting point, as they defeated the Celtics in a seven-game series. With some bad blood and history, this game ranks high in memorable Christmas Day games.
The scope
Marking just the 19th time an NFL game was held on Christmas Day, the Baltimore Ravens visited divisional rival Pittsburgh Steelers in a divisional showdown that would be decided by the AFC North. A Steelers victory would secure Pittsburgh its second-division title in three years, but a Baltimore victory would allow the Ravens to control their own destiny as they enter the final week of play. The stakes were high for both teams and on a cold afternoon they showed just how much it meant to them.
A hotly contested game at all times, the Ravens appeared to be on the cusp of a victory, scoring a touchdown with just 1:18 remaining in the game. Needing a field goal to tie, the Steelers quickly moved down the field, reaching the four-yard line. With 13 seconds to go and no timeouts, the Steelers decided to try to reach the end zone. Because they couldn’t stop the clock, any in-bounds entry would almost certainly signal the end of the game. When quarterback Ben Roethlisberger broke the ball, wide receiver Antonio Brown caught it and was instantly greeted by three tacklers. In a show of sheer strength and determination, Brown managed to fight through the tackles and extend his arm across the pylon, scoring the game-winning touchdown and winning the Steelers the division.
Deja vu in Cleveland
The 2016 NBA Finals will be considered one of the best of all time. As the only time a team blew a 3-1 series lead, it will go down in the history books forever. After meeting in the 2015 and 2016 finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors had split the two meetings. However, after the 2016 loss, the Golden State Warriors added superstar Kevin Durant to a team that already consisted of three other stars. The Warriors had basically stacked the deck, and this 2016 Christmas game would be our first look at these two teams facing off.
Trailing by seven going into the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers were once again able to rally against the Warriors, winning by a final score of 109-108. Trailing by three with 1:14 to play, Kyrie Irving scored the final four points of the game, including a tough jumper with three seconds left to win. Irving had once again punished the Warriors in the clutch, having also exhausted the opportunity to get ahead in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals just six months earlier. This long-awaited showdown lived up to expectations as it was one of the most-watched Christmas games in the NBA.
Written by: Omar Navarro – [email protected]
