LeBron James draws flak online for saying Christmas belongs to NBA as NFL viewership revealed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: NBA legend LeBron James was mocked online after he made a bold claim that Christmas belongs to the NBA despite the NFL dominating the viewership.

The NFL used to do almost everything possible to avoid Christmas but now, the league is even scheduling games on Wednesdays to get in on the holiday action, according to Fox News.

Although the NBA had December 25 for itself for many years, the NFL has recently made Christmas one of its tentpole events during the regular season, joining Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving.

LeBron James says Christmas belongs to the NBA

After a Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors thriller Christmas night, LeBron James made a bold claim with NBA ratings declining and the NFL as popular as ever.

The Lakers star performer said after the win against the Warriors, "I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day."

However, he was factually wrong. The NBA had a great day by its standards averaging 5.2 million viewers across its five games on Wednesday on ABC, ESPN, and its platforms, and it was the highest during the holiday in five years.

The Lakers-Warriors game averaged 7.7 million viewers, peaking at 8.3 million. The game between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets was also the largest late window ever with 3.8 million people watching, according to Fox News.

Despite this, the NFL still dominated, averaging 24.2 million viewers with the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans games, despite both games being blowouts on Netflix.

Notably, NFL games will have been played on five different days in Week 17 when it's said and done. Thursday, Sunday, and Monday are common game days, and Saturday games are played later in the season, per the outlet.

The NFL's Christmas viewership didn't match Thanksgiving numbers, while the NBA had improved ratings after a decline early on in the season. Despite this, the NFL has been the clear winner.

This year, the NBA gifted fans five games sprinkled throughout the day that were competing for viewers against an early afternoon game between the Chiefs and Steelers followed by an evening game between the Ravens and Texans.

LeBron James sparks retirement speculation

LeBron James sparked retirement speculation after a dismal performance as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing 106-98 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in December.

Former NBA player and current analyst Kendrick Perkins took to social media after the game to suggest that this season could be James' last, according to Marca.

Perkins posted, "It's looking like this just might be Bron's last season," sparking retirement rumors.

A four-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the league's all-time leading scorer, James has set records that will stand for generations, per the outlet.

He has been an influential figure in the game and its broader culture beyond his achievements. From his philanthropic endeavors to his role as a global ambassador for basketball, his legacy is secure regardless of how his career ends.

Internet trolls LeBron James for saying Christmas belongs to NBA

Several internet users trolled LeBron James as he made a bold claim that Christmas belongs to the NBA despite the NFL dominating the viewership.

A user wrote on X, "Maybe LeBron should stop talking 9 years ago. He hasn’t had a good take since he promised 5 titles in Miami that never happened," while one added, "Hence why Lebron said that - Because NFL dominates and any chance NBA can have the spotlight, they need it. Bad post."

A person also stated, "I find it hard to believe 5.25 mil watched the NBA. They must have been watching that channel prior and left the TV on when they walked away," whereas one mentioned, "It’s now the NFL’s day! I hope we have games every Christmas going forward!"

A user also wrote, "Christmas is Jesus’s day….Lebron," while one commented, "Sorry the NFL will beat NBA anytime."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.