Christmas Day games are a staple of the NBA, but Celtics legend Paul Pierce explains why he didn’t like playing in them as his career progressed.
The NBA started the Christmas Day tradition in 1947 and special games have been played on that day ever since (with one exception during the 1998-99 lockout season).
NBA fans across the globe tune in to watch juicy match ups on Christmas, but Pierce has provided a different perspective as a former player.
“When I had kids I didn’t (like playing on Christmas),” Paul Pierce said to Kevin Garnett on KG Certified. “It was too much. They on the road, they in the hotel with you. You can’t really concentrate, then you wanna make sure they have a good day. And then we gotta go out and play a game. I really wasn’t invested on Christmas day really like that, to be honest. I mean, you know, I know it’s a special day to play the game. And, you know, you want to do it for the fans. But I always was like so locked in on just kind of like family on that day because you know, we sacrificed so much, you know, being in the NBA. We missed so many holidays with families and birthdays and all type of s**t. It was tough on Christmas man. I don’t think I ever even had a good game on Christmas.”
Garnett and Pierce also reminisced on when the Celtics did Secret Santa and Ray Allen was royally stitched up one year by Leon Powe.
“Leon Power gave Ray Allen the whole season of Martin on DVD,” Pierce said. “Ray Allen got the whole season of Martin Lawrence. We start cracking up.“
This was while every other team member received some of the most expensive designer bags money could buy.
“Then we had to put rules into that after that. Gift got to be $500,000, man,” Garnett explained.
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