Houston Rockets forward blames NBA’s low ratings on lack of Christmas Day jerseys

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason believes that the NBA’s lack of Christmas jerseys could be a reason why ratings are down for the league.

The NBA used to have special jerseys for teams that played on Christmas Day, but it did not do so this season.

The different style jerseys signal that Christmas Day is a major event in the NBA, and it could help get fans more interested in the game to see players in their new look.

Eason and the Rockets didn’t play on Christmas Day, but they may end up getting a game on Christmas in the near future since they are one of the rising young teams in the NBA.

So far this season, Houston is 20-9 overall and holds the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Rockets also made the semifinals of the NBA Cup earlier this month before they were knocked out by the Oklahoma City Thunder (the current No. 1 seed in the Western Conference).

After narrowly missing the NBA’s play-in tournament last season, the Rockets have come out on fire in the 2024-25 season. They’ve won seven of their last 10 games and are only 3.5 games back of the Thunder for the top seed in the West.

Eason has been a key piece of the Rockets’ success so far this season. The former first-round pick is averaging 11.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from 3.

A lanky defender on the wing, Eason is playing 22.8 minutes per game across 24 contests (all off of the bench).

Eason is one of many young players that Houston has built around. Former lottery picks Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. have helped jumpstart Houston’s rebuild, and Alperen Sengun is on the verge of becoming an All-Star this season.

If the Rockets end up getting a Christmas Day game in the future, Eason may have to talk to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about bringing back the Christmas jerseys that Rockets forward seems to love.