{"id":2686,"date":"2016-11-24T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2016-11-24T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=2686"},"modified":"2016-11-23T20:55:30","modified_gmt":"2016-11-24T01:55:30","slug":"nba-thanksgiving-giving-thanks-to-the-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/11\/24\/nba-thanksgiving-giving-thanks-to-the-nba\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Thanksgiving: Giving Thanks to the NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanksgiving<\/strong> is an American<\/strong> holiday commonly associated with food, family, and football. Every family has its own traditions. But the commonality in it all: being thankful. With that, the LWOPB<\/strong> staff wanted to share its thanks as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

NBA Thanksgiving:\u00a0Giving Thanks to the NBA<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We are thankful for…<\/strong><\/h4>\n
…giving the little guy a chance<\/h5>\n

Harrison Marcus<\/a><\/strong>, Senior Editor:\u00a0<\/strong>On this great American holiday, I thank Isaiah Thomas<\/a> <\/b>of the Boston Celtics <\/b>for shedding a light of hope and motivation to all sub 5\u201910\u2019\u2019 basketball players growing up in this generation. As a 5\u20196\u2019\u2019 basketball player with limited athleticism and jumping ability, I admire the way Thomas scores the basketball. He\u2019s a lights-out shooter and fearless attacker who is quick on his feet. Seeing Thomas lead the Celtics to the playoffs while making his first career All-Star<\/b> appearance this past season was awesome, and it should prove to\u00a0every vertically challenged young basketball player that height is never an excuse (even though I use it as an excuse on the boards and on defense more than I should – that\u2019s a different story).<\/p>\n

So on this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my family, friends, food (shoutout to my dad for the legendary turkey and stuffing) and of course, Isaiah Thomas. Thank you for inspiring all of the shorter athletes out there that basketball isn\u2019t just a sport for the freakishly tall kids; us fun-sized ballers can hoop too!<\/p>\n

…making the next holiday the best<\/h5>\n

Thomas Tittley<\/a><\/strong>, Staff Writer:\u00a0<\/strong>If Christmas<\/strong> wasn\u2019t already one of your favorite days of the year, then the NBA Christmas marathon must be the bow that wraps up the present. From 12:00 PM to past 1:00 AM Eastern Time, we are gifted non-stop NBA hoops. With special Christmas Day jerseys and now specially designed color-way shoes for the occasion, the NBA has marketed this as the ultimate day of basketball. And it lives up to expectation every single season. Every young NBA fan would be lying if he said that he hasn’t been mesmerized by Christmas-colored shoes.<\/p>\n

Some of the best teams and players in the league will be participating this season, with the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/strong>, Golden State Warriors<\/strong>, San Antonio Spurs<\/strong>, and Los Angeles Clippers<\/strong> hitting the floor on December 25th<\/span>. Superstars like LeBron James<\/a><\/strong>, Stephen Curry<\/a><\/strong>, Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong>, Kawhi Leonard<\/a><\/strong>, and Chris Paul<\/a><\/strong> will be on the floor.<\/p>\n

I only have one small, let’s-call-it-a-conundrum with the Christmas Day schedule. I understand that the Los Angeles Lakers<\/strong>, New York Knicks<\/strong>, and Chicago Bulls<\/strong> are three of your marquee franchises, but let\u2019s be honest, they\u2019re all terrible teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves<\/strong> at least have incredible youth and some real, big-time players. Why are better teams passed over for these major ones? The Toronto Raptors<\/strong>,\u00a0Portland Trail Blazers<\/strong>, and Memphis Grizzlies<\/strong> should really be playing Christmas Day. But give credit where credit is due: the NBA does Christmas better than any other major sports league in North America, and it\u2019s not even close.<\/p>\n

…the next wave of NBA talent<\/h5>\n

Austin Cracraft<\/a><\/strong>, Staff Writer and Podcast Host:\u00a0<\/strong>This next draft class is going to be ridiculous:<\/p>\n

Markelle Fultz<\/strong><\/p>\n