LOS ANGELES (AP) - Phil Jackson says humbug to the NBA’s Christmas schedule.
The 11-time NBA champion coach restated his longtime opposition to Christmas games Tuesday night before his Los Angeles Lakers faced the Milwaukee Bucks in their final tuneup before Saturday’s visit from the Miami Heat.
Jackson said he wonders why Christian holidays mean so little to the NBA, noting the NHL and most other major sports usually take Christmas off.
Jackson also objects to the proliferating number of Christmas games in recent seasons. The NBA has scheduled five games for Saturday, with Kobe Bryant’s showdown against LeBron James and the revamped Heat at center stage.
The Lakers have played on every Christmas since 1999.
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