One of the most legendary coaches in NBA history criticized the league for holding games on both Christmas and Easter, which he considers sacred holidays. On Christmas Day 2024, the NBA scheduled five games, and two games each were played on Good Friday and Easter Monday. This drew disapproval from former coach Phil Jackson, who famously led Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to six championships. Jackson remarked, “Once again, the NBA challenges faith by scheduling multiple games on Christmas and Easter—days that hold deep spiritual meaning.”
Surprisingly, this was only the second time in nearly seven years that Jackson had posted on his social media—and he used the opportunity to criticize the NBA’s scheduling. While he has alluded to his faith on his timeline before, it was back in 2013 and only in the context of films.
It’s worth noting that the NBA playing on Christmas isn’t a recent development—the tradition dates back to 1947, the league’s second season. In fact, the NBA has reportedly scheduled five games on Christmas Day annually since 2008, all during Phil Jackson’s coaching career, which ended in 2016. Nevertheless, Jackson, known for his strong personal convictions, has remained vocal. He’s one of the few coaches to express criticism of the NBA’s more progressive initiatives, even stating in 2023 that he hadn’t watched the league in years.
“They had slogans on their jerseys like ‘Justice.’ It became a bit of a joke—like, ‘Justice just drove to the basket and Equal Opportunity fouled him,’” Jackson said at the time, adding that his grandkids found it amusing. “That’s when I couldn’t watch anymore.”
The Hall of Fame coach also disapproved of the political messages displayed on NBA courts, suggesting the league was “trying to cater to or attract a specific audience.” He argued that fans want sports to be a “non-political” space and criticized the NBA’s COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Florida, as part of what he saw as a misguided approach.
