NBA snatches away Warriors' dream Christmas showdown in stunning holiday letdown

Last season, one of the Golden State Warriors' biggest storylines all year long was Klay Thompson's games against the Dallas Mavericks. Thompson had spent the first 13 years of his career in the Bay, and any time that he played against the Mavericks last season, the NBA world stopped.

Everyone wanted to see the Splash Brothers — Thompson and Stephen Curry — face off for once instead of playing on the same team, and those matchups delivered. The NBA hyped this potential new rivalry, but with other storylines swirling around the league, the excitement isn’t quite what it once was.

Now, the Warriors have already been scheduled to play the Mavericks on Christmas Day at the Chase Center, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania — and the NBA missed a perfect chance to give Golden State a matchup against a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA missed the mark with Warriors’ Christmas matchup

The NBA has already been pushing a Warriors-Lakers rivalry heading into next season. The two teams faced off in the NBA Summer League opener, have a preseason game scheduled in Las Vegas, and are in the same group for the NBA Cup. A Christmas Day showdown between the two would've been the cherry on top.

Warriors vs. Lakers would’ve easily been the most-watched game of the day, with fans eager to watch Stephen Curry take on his former teammate Luka Doncic. Doncic always seems to shine in games against the Warriors — he dropped 45 points in his return to the Chase Center last season and was unstoppable all night.

A Christmas Day matchup would've been bittersweet for Warriors fans, as it would mark Doncic’s final game in a Golden State uniform. He went down with a calf strain that day and didn’t return to the court until after he was traded to the Lakers.

On the other hand, a clash against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder would’ve been a dream scenario. OKC has quietly become one of Golden State’s fiercest new rivals. Their heated 2024 playoff series ignited a rivalry that still hasn’t cooled off — filled with intensity, emotion, and controversy that made for must-watch basketball. A Christmas Day rematch could have been legendary.

The proximity between San Francisco and Oklahoma City makes it easy for fans to travel either way, and the atmosphere would have been electric. Even with Doncic no longer in the Bay, Warriors vs. Thunder promises more hard-fought battles in the years ahead, and fans across the league would’ve tuned in for another chapter.

The Warriors and Mavericks are still likely to put on a show this Christmas Day, as there’s still some tension between the two teams — especially with Thompson now in a Warriors uniform and looking to make a statement. He had some massive moments against Dallas last season after signing with Golden State, and if he starts dropping threes at the Chase Center, this seemingly average holiday matchup could quickly become one of the most entertaining games of the day.