The Sydney Kings have broken the final frontier of Australian sport, becoming the first team to host a Christmas Day fixture in Australia.
The defending NBL champions will host Melbourne United at Qudos Bank Arena on the evening of December 25, following in the footsteps of the NBA, where the slate of Christmas games has been commonplace for years.
Some fans of the A-League, Big Bash, and NBL have clamoured for their sport of choice to take the plunge and break that final frontier of a Christmas clash – and it’s the latter that’s made the call.
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Kings chairman Paul Smith defended the move in the wake of criticism, referencing several other ‘sacred days’ on the calendar.
“I appreciate that, and I respect that point of view but also, I think that our society has changed a lot,” he said on 2GB.
“Good Friday was sacrosanct, and Easter Sunday used to be sacrosanct, and Anzac Day and all these sorts of things – it’s an evolving community.”
The Rabbitohs and Bulldogs have met on Good Friday for more than a decade in the NRL, while the Kangaroos and Bulldogs have done likewise in the AFL for several years.
Both the Roosters v Dragons and Warriors v Storm are regular Anzac Day fixtures in the NRL, as is Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG.
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Smith also pointed out that in an increasingly secular society, the religious aspect of the day was far less prevalent than it once was.
“Christmas is a Christian event and there’s a lot of people in our society that don’t celebrate Christmas, for very valid reasons,” he said, adding that sport could also provide an outlet for those who are left alone.
“Christmas can be a very lonely time for people – there’s a lot of people out there who don’t have family around and might be looking for something to do.”
The full NBL fixture list for the upcoming season will be released next week, but commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said he was delighted with the bold move the Kings were making.
“We are thrilled to be bringing such a massive encounter to Christmas Day, particularly given we will be the first professional sport in this country to do so,” he said.
“Sports fans across Australia and New Zealand have been asking for live sport on Christmas and we are excited to bring them world-class basketball and entertainment on what is a very special day for so many.”
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