Charles Barkley has made it very clear that he's not a fan of the NFL choosing to host games on Christmas Day.
For years, December 25 has traditionally been a big day for the NBA, with a number of games being nationally televised. However, in recent years, the NFL has been ramping up how many games it plays on Christmas Day.
This year is no different with Netflix, which is paying $150 million per year to get a pair of Christmas games as part of a three-year deal, hosting a doubleheader (Cowboys vs. Commanders and Lions vs. Vikings), while the final game (Broncos vs. Chiefs) will be aired on Prime Video as part of its usual Thursday Night Football coverage.
Speaking during NBA Tipoff on ESPN on Thursday (via Sports Illustrated), Barkley took a moment to lambast Goodell and the NFL for taking some shine away from the NBA on the year's biggest holiday.
"The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourself, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now," he said.
This year marks the 78th year the NBA is holding games on Christmas. The five games on display for the 2025 holiday slate are: Knicks vs. Cavaliers, Thunder vs. Spurs, Warriors vs. Mavericks, Lakers vs. Rockets, and Nuggets vs. Timberwolves.
In other Charles Barkley news, the former NBA star recently discussed the reason why his once strong friendship with Michael Jordan came to an end.
Speaking on the Tom Tolbert Show, Barkley recalled the moment Jordan called him after taking issue with comments Barkley made on television about Jordan’s leadership as owner of the then-Charlotte Bobcats, now the Charlotte Hornets.
At the time, Barkley was a regular analyst on TNT’s Inside the NBA, and known for his blunt, unfiltered takes.