NBA basketball is now a Christmas tradition, and ESPN will again present a day full of marquee NBA matchups on Christmas Day. To celebrate, Santa is returning to ESPN’s airwaves to declare ‘Xmas’ as the official holiday of the NBA and to share the holiday hopes, dreams and fears of some of the league’s biggest and brightest stars.
Sitting on Santa’s lap in promos for the big day are some of the game’s biggest stars, and they include players who will be playing on Christmas day, including Bradley Beal and John Wall of the Washington Wizards, JR Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nick Young of the Golden State Warriors and Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers.
As the oversized players sit on Santa’s lap, we learn about them, including what JR stands for (not jumpshot Ron), what Young wants for Christmas (a win and to be taken to space) and how quick Wall is (he steals cookies from Santa). And we also see Santa giving Alley and Oops sweaters to the Wizards players and a Latvian unicorn (with the face of the Knicks' Kristaps Porziņģis) to Simmons.
This is the fourth year of ESPN’s Santa campaign, which will run across ESPN properties on air and online. This year actor Jon Glaser ('Parks and Recreation,''Girls') is channeling the jolly old elf.
ESPN collaborated with Funworks on the campaign, which will run through Christmas Day.
See the spots by clicking the Creative Works box below.