In a matter of days, NBA fans will be treated to a Christmas Day slate of five interesting matchups.
One of the most awaited battles is the face-off between LeBron James and Stephen Curry before some pundits implore them anew to join forces. Two candidates to succeed the aging legends as the faces of the league, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic, will feature in a separate duel.
The other games include San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks, Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns tiffs.
It's unclear which of those contests Charlotte Hornets fans would want to see or which teams they would be rooting for. It would have been easy if the Hornets were scheduled to suit up.
Hornets playing on Christmas Day for the first time seems far away
However, Charlotte has, unfortunately, never played on Christmas Day — not even once since it joined the league in 1988 as an expansion franchise. In contrast, the Miami Heat, which was established in the same year, has been a part of the slate 14 times.
Is there a chance for the Hornets to leave the exclusive club in the coming years?
It's certainly possible, but the odds aren't in their favor — for now.
The NBA has no formula for deciding which team should work during the holiday. However, the past years have shown that the league office typically chooses squads that have superstars or the reigning MVP or are involved in personal or rivalries. The protagonists of the previous Finals or conference finals duking it out in a rematch is also a common sight.
So, Charlotte will have to get a superstar or start winning (and making deep playoff runs) if it hopes to play on the 25th of December.
Perhaps LaMelo Ball can develop into one of the faces of the NBA. He definitely has the skills and charisma to do so. He was even on track to establishing himself as the all-time king of the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, another injury caused the point guard to spend some time on the sidelines again. The good news is that the point guard had to miss just seven games. He only has to stay healthy to show he is one of the top players in the Association.
Maybe another potential superstar will arrive next year because the Hornets are currently on pace to have one of the worst records of the 2024-25 regular season. Consequently, they could have a high pick in the loaded 2025 draft. While such an outcome might not sound appealing to some fans, it makes sense for the team to endure one more campaign of futility if it means increasing its chances of landing another cornerstone via the draft.
Bringing in high-quality players can also result in more wins than losses. Such a scenario can turn Charlotte into a perennial playoff contender, thereby boosting the prospect of the organization finally making an appearance on Christmas.