The ongoing debate over which sport rules Christmas Day took an intriguing turn this year when NBA superstar LeBron James declared the holiday to be the NBA’s territory. While James expressed his appreciation for the NFL, he firmly stated that Christmas is “our day” for basketball. “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James said, sparking a lively discussion about Christmas sports viewing traditions.

Detroit Lions Players Respond with Strong Opinions

However, several Detroit Lions players strongly disagreed with James’ assertion. Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith quickly came to football’s defense, saying, “I for sure feel like (Christmas Day) is for football. You got a lot of dads and kids and family that’s all together, just want to watch some hard-nose, hitting football. I don’t think they want to watch people dunk, you think? And dribble? No. I feel like they want to watch people hit each other, so I for sure feel like football has to keep that Christmas Day game for sure.”

Allen Robinson Weighs In: Football is King

Lions wide receiver Allen Robinson also shared his thoughts, stressing the NFL’s supremacy in America. “At the end of the day, man, the NFL and football in this country is the number one game. So I think they can take over whatever day that they want to take over,” Robinson said. “I mean, obviously we see some of the ratings and stuff throughout the fall and winter when it is football on, and where the NBA stands with that. And again, I don’t want to take away from the NBA. I’m a big NBA watcher and advocate, but the NFL is just a little bit different beast.”

Football’s Christmas Dominance Remains Unquestioned

While both the NFL and NBA continue to battle for dominance on Christmas Day, it’s clear that the rivalry is far from settled. For Lions players, though, Christmas Day belongs to football, and they’re eager to keep that tradition alive.