On Thursday, Nov. 24, there will be no NBA games. All 30 teams in the league will be idle to recognize the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
The Thanksgiving holiday marks the second time in the month of November in which no NBA teams are in action, the first being Election Day in the United States, which fell on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Why are there no NBA games on America's Thanksgiving holiday? While the choice is deliberate, there hasn't quite been a clear declaration of why.
Why are there no NBA games on Thanksgiving?
The 2022-23 NBA season marks the 12th consecutive year in which there are no NBA games on Thanksgiving. There's no formal statement on why games are not scheduled on the holiday, but as an annual occurrence, it has become widely accepted as the norm.
Thanksgiving is one of four isolated days in which the NBA holds no games, presumably because the holiday plays host to three NFL football games, including a primetime offering that would conflict with the NBA's games.
Instead of playing on the Thanksgiving holiday, the NBA focuses on Christmas, a holiday in which it traditionally holds five games that span the entire day.
The NBA last held Thanksgiving games on Nov. 25, 2010, a TNT doubleheader that featured a meeting between the Wizards and Hawks followed by a game between the Kings and Clippers.
Because of the 2011 NBA lockout, the 2011-12 NBA season did not begin until the Christmas holiday, meaning no games were held in the month of November. From that point forward, the NBA has not held games on Thanksgiving.
Days with no NBA regular season games 2022-23
- Nov. 8, 2022 — Election Day
- Nov. 24, 2022 — Thanksgiving (U.S.)
- Dec. 24, 2022 — Christmas Eve
- Feb. 17-22, 2023 — NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City
- April 3, 2023 — Men's NCAA National Championship Game
NBA post-Thanksgiving schedule
The NBA will return on Friday with a full slate of games.
Friday, Nov. 25
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Timberwolves vs. Hornets | 5:00 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs. Magic | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs. Celtics | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs. Pacers | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Wizards vs. Heat | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs. Rockets | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Pelicans vs. Grizzlies | 8:00 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Cavaliers vs. Bucks | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Bulls vs. Thunder | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Spurs | 8:00 p.m. | — |
| Pistons vs. Suns | 9:00 p.m. | — |
| Jazz vs. Warriors | 10:00 p.m. | — |
| Nuggets vs. Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
