Stan Van Gundy Wants End to Christmas Games

By KC Downey in Celtics ⋅ December 26, 2009 at 1:05pm ⋅ Post a comment

Perhaps Stan Van Gundy was upset for getting the proverbial “coal” in his stocking after an 86-77 loss to the Celtics on Christmas Day. Perhaps he doesn’t fully understand how lucrative it is for his team to be featured on big prime-time games. Perhaps he was upset he didn’t have time to open his presents Christmas morning.

“I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else,” Van Gundy said before the game. “But that’s the way it is. There’s nothing more important than the NBA on Christmas Day.”

Van Gundy woke up early, but only managed to spend 15 minutes with his family Christmas morning before heading to the game. While Christmas is meant for relatives to spend time together, Van Gundy should feel grateful. Many people are required to work Christmas Day across the country, as well as our servicemen and women defending our country and freedom overseas.Van Gundy is making more than $1 million per year to do something he supposedly loves: coach the Orlando Magic. Have some respect, crybaby!

Is the NBA punishing successful teams (like the Magic and Celtics) by forcing them to play on holidays? No, they’re cashing in on big games in prime-time slots. Van Gundy later admits he already understands money is a motivating factor in NBA games on Christmas Day.

“The league has been good to all of us in terms of what we get out of all these TV contracts and everything, so it would be a little disingenuous to complain too much,” Van Gundy said. “But if I had my way, we’d take a five-day break at Christmas. I mean it.”