Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have made it to Christmas Day.
It’s an acknowledgment that the Grizzlies have become one of the big draws in the NBA — they will face the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, reports Marc Stein.
Memphis at Golden State is another Christmas Day game on the NBA's preliminary schedule for the 2022-23 season that is on course to be made official this coming week, league sources tell me.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 13, 2022
More NBA from me: https://t.co/LGN9cVpeGP https://t.co/GpkZxsU8NI
Morant is pumped for the meeting.
we got what we wanted dray. 😤 @Money23Green https://t.co/fsJPffUBii pic.twitter.com/ti8PAdtMyC
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) August 13, 2022
With Stephen Curry and the Warriors being one of the NBA’s biggest draws, this game is likely one of the prime-time days. That Morant and the Grizzlies were granted one of those slots shows not only their popularity now but also where the NBA envisions them in a few years — as one of the faces of the league.
We now know two-fifths of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, with the Lakers traveling to Dallas to face the Mavericks in a LeBron James vs. Luka Doncic showdown. (The Warriors will host the Lakers after their ring ceremony on the season’s opening night.)
This year those Christmas games will have to go up against a slate of three NFL games, something unusual — the NBA traditionally has the day to itself among the major sports — and certainly could impact traditional television ratings.
