Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson doesn’t seem to be a fan of games being played on Easter.
Jackson posted to his X account for the just the second time since 2018 seemingly to criticize the league’s decision to hold games on Easter Sunday as well as its decision to host games on Christmas Day, which has become a marquee day for the sport.
“Again the NBA tests faith by playing multiple games on Christmas and Easter…sacred days,” Jackson wrote.
It’s not the first time Jackson has criticized the NBA, though it does indicate that he’s still keeping an eye on the league despite claiming back in 2023 that he no longer watched because it had become too “political.”
During a 2023 appearance on the “Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin” podcast, Jackson criticized the NBA’s decision to embrace social justice messaging during the 2020 season in the bubble, calling the decision to allow players to wear supporting messages “wanky.”
“They even had slogans on the floor and the baseline,” he said, while explaining why he didn’t watch the NBA anymore. “It was trying to cater to an audience or trying to bring a certain audience to the game, and they didn’t know it was turning other people off. People want to see sports as nonpolitical.
“Politics stays out of the game; it doesn’t need to be there.”
As for his complaints about the NBA playing on sacred holidays such as Christmas and Easter, it’s unlikely his post will do much to change the stance of the league or its fans, who continue to watch in droves during the holidays.
Also on Sunday, Major League Baseball played a full slate of games and the NHL held three playoff games.
Christmas Day has become a battle for eyeballs between the NBA and NFL, which has started to muscle in on what has long been a day for basketball.
