Former Knicks Forward Blasts Christmas Day Matchup

The New York Knicks are set to face the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day and not everyone's excited about it.

Jan 14, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks forward Kenyon Martin (3) prepares to shoot as he is defended by Charlotte Bobcats forward center Bismack Biyombo (0) during the first half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Former New York Knick Kenyon Martin believes the NBA's Christmas schedule is anything but merry.

The Knicks return to their unofficial spot at the top of the hardwood Christmas offerings this year, as they'll open the five-game slate against the San Antonio Spurs. That didn't sit well with Martin, who tore into the NBA's choice of opponent while appearing on "Gil's Arena," the web series hosted by fellow former All-Star Gilbert Arenas.

"They just said f*** the Knicks fans," Martin said. "The people that go to the games on Christmas Day in the Garden, you make them go watch the Spurs play? ... When you wake up at 9:00, the game come on at 9:00 out here, do you want to watch, no disrespect, do you want to watch San Antonio on Christmas?"

It's not hard to see why the NBA placed the Spurs, owners of the Western Conference's second-worst record in 2023-24, in one of its premier holiday spots: San Antonio boasts the talents of rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, who lived up to the hype and then some en route to the Association's top freshman honor.

That's not enough to satisfy Martin, who partook in the Knicks' 2013 holiday showdown, a 123-94 loss to Oklahoma City. Of the 10 teams scheduled for this Dec. 25, the Spurs are the only one that did not partake in any form of postseason last spring and one of two to miss the official playoff tournament (the other, Golden State, partook in the Western Play-In).

Martin had hoped that the league would've dipped into the Knicks' expansive rogues gallery, namely the Miami Heat.

Mar 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during overtime at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

"How about the Heat and the Knicks at the Garden? It's a rivalry," Martin reasoned as his fellow panelists suggested a flexible schedule style solution. "There's Heat fans in godd*** New York. The Knicks are supposed to be a good team this year, right? They can go in and dog-sh** San Antonio on Christmas. If you're going to put a lesser team, just go put the Brooklyn Nets on the motherfu*****."

Even though Martin is concerned for them, Knicks fans will likely find no issue with the Spurs' holiday visit: though the team has won two of its last three on Christmas (including a 129-11 win over Milwaukee last time around), things haven't always been so holly or jolly for the Knicks, who currently carry a 24-32 record on the Nativity.

Despite the Spurs' reduced state, the two sides played an instant classic in San Antonio last year, one that saw Wembanyama put up a 40-point, 20-rebound double-double in a 130-126 overtime victory. Jalen Brunson had 61 points, one short of a Knicks single-game record, in defeat. The two sides will also be facing in a high-profile showdown 25 years after they did battle in the 1999 NBA Finals, a 4-1 San Antonio victory.

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