Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins fired back at the NFL on Christmas Day after the league scheduled three games on what has traditionally been the NBA’s showcase date. The ESPN analysts argued that basketball, not football, deserves ownership of Dec. 25. Jefferson, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, questioned why the NFL felt the need to challenge the NBA’s long-held Christmas tradition. Perkins, who was a former Boston Celtics center, called the league’s approach intentionally spiteful. Both analysts appeared frustrated by what they view as an unnecessary power play from the NFL, which planned a full Christmas Day slate consisting of Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings on Netflix along with Denver Broncos-Kansas City Chiefs on Prime Video. The comments came via a video posted by Heat Central on X on Thursday, but be aware that there is some bad language. “No other country watches football,” Jefferson said on the broadcast. “People all
