As Christmas nears, homes across the sports world will have the NBA's slate turned on in the background. It's the league's biggest day of the regular season as the holiday lets it showcase its superstars.

After a first-seed finish last year, it was assumed the Oklahoma City Thunder would return to the Christmas slate. The young squad smashed open a championship window and is headlined by the MVP runner-up.

Instead, the NBA snubbed the Thunder. The ridiculous mistake was highlighted during their 2024 NBA Cup finals run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discussed it days before the special holiday after OKC's win over the Miami Heat.

"Disappointed for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I'd love to play on Christmas Day and I think we're that caliber of a team. The NBA makes their decisions. You can't slight them for it. The ball is in our court to prove to them why we deserve to play on that day. We have a whole 82-game season and the playoffs to do so."

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also expressed a similar sentiment. He said they'd love to play in front of a national audience but reiterated the decision is out of their control.

"Our players I know would've liked to play on Christmas," Daigneault said. "That's such a staple day in the NBA season. But we can't control that. We're playing with the hand we're dealt."

Like always, Gilgeous-Alexander's cool demeanor rivals winter temperatures. The MVP candidate could've used the platform to air his legitimate grievances. But he surely understands the league realizes their mistake. Expect OKC to be a main staple on the holiday for the foreseeable future.

For one more year, the Thunder will have to settle for spending Christmas with their family.