'All I want for Christmas is my 5 NBA games...not'

So what does a traditional Christmas Day in America mean anymore? Glad you asked. It means the birth of Christ, presents, wreaths, Kobe Bryant, evergreen trees in the family room, kids, David Stern, Santa Claus, lights, the Celtics, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, the Lakers, tinsel, dunks, hot cocoa, the NBA on TV, "It's a Wonderful Life," the Knicks ...

Does that about cover it?

Look, I hate to snow on the parade here, but how did the NBA horn in on Christmas Day?

The NBA opens its lockout-delayed season with five games on Christmas Day, which falls on Sunday this year. They played five games on Christmas last season, as well.

I know, this isn't going to be popular with everyone — I can feel your Internet comments already — but enough already.

The NBA on Christmas Day means people will have to leave their families and go to work on Christmas — players, coaches, referees, concessionaires, ushers, parking attendants, local businesses, dancing girls, TV and radio employees, reporters, the mascot, water boys, custodians.

How about skipping Christmas Day and giving everyone a break?

How about following the NFL's lead? NFL officials moved their full schedule from Sunday to Saturday afternoon, so players (and fans) could be home with their families. They have only one game scheduled for Sunday, and it will be at night. But, then, the NFL is always one step ahead of the NBA anyway.

Look, during the winter and spring, NBA and college basketball games are televised almost every day of the week, and the NFL is on three nights a week — Sunday, Monday and Thursday — and last week Saturday was added to the list. Do they really need more sports on Christmas Day?

Former Laker coach Phil Jackson, whose parents were ministers, complained to ESPN about the situation last year.

"It's like Christian holidays don't mean anything to them anymore," he said. "We just go out and play and entertain the TV. It's really weird."

The NBA has been playing games on every Christmas Day since 1947, except for the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. Now the trend is to add games to the Christmas schedule.

"It used to be two teams," Jackson said. "It used to be Phoenix and L.A. and New York and Boston or New York and Philly or somebody on the East coast. Now I see that they have like (five) games on Christmas."