Portland Trail Blazers to Play on Christmas Day?

An unnamed source reports that the Portland Trail Blazers will play on Christmas Day, according to Travis Demers, host of Rip City Drive (3:00-6:00 M-F) on Rip City radio 620. The NBA is expected to release the 2016-17 NBA schedule later this week, but news of Christmas games has already begun to leak, with many reporting that the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Golden State Warriors on the jam-packed broadcast day. If the Trail Blazers rumor is true, they are expected to play the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sources tell me the Trail #Blazers will play Christmas Day... Likely against the #Lakers. #nbaschedule

— Travis Demers (@travisdemers) August 10, 2016

The Trail Blazers have not played a Christmas Day game since 2010, losing to the Warriors 102-109. In the six years since, they have seen complete roster turnover, with none of the players from the bygone Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge era remaining in Portland (note to self: write an ode to Andre Miller). In a sense, the team is due to play. On the other hand, they’ve not been recent history’s favorites to participate in the competitive festivities.

If the rumor is confirmed, it will mark the first Christmas Day game for every Trail Blazer except Ed Davis, Mason Plumlee, and Festus Ezeli—and Shabazz Napier if you count a DNP. As a franchise, the Trail Blazers are 14-3 in Christmas Day games, trailing only the Miami Heat (10-2) in terms of win percentage.

We will keep you updated as the story develops.

UPDATE: Trail Blazers digital reporter Casey Holdahl tweets that any news about a potential Christmas Day game for Portland has not reached his ears.

FWIW, I have heard nothing about a Christmas Day game.

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) August 10, 2016