OKC Thunder suffers from disregard for Christmas rules

In the NBA regular season, there is no more coveted game day for a team than Christmas.

The holiday brings in some of the highest ratings on television each year thanks to the all-star cast that is usually assembled. The biggest names and best teams get the nod, and when you reach that podium, you know you've made it.

It seemed almost certain that the Oklahoma City Thunder would play on Christmas Day. Last season they secured first place in the Western Conference, and since the San Antonio Spurs in 2012, every top-place team has gotten a game on December 25. That's the gift most teams would expect for a successful season, but the Thunder got cash in their stockings instead.

Not only is Oklahoma City the best team in the West, but it also has one of the league's most promising young players, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. These players have earned the spotlight on Christmas Day, and viewers won't switch channels when they see them in action. If anything, they'll tune in to see the stars of the future.

To gain viewership and attention, the NBA needs to showcase up-and-coming teams in primetime. Instead of focusing on the Thunder, the focus was on the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, a potential face of the league in the future. There's an obvious reason why San Antonio pulled it off – people want to see the 20-year-old's exceptional skills. He's undoubtedly a generational talent, so it makes a lot of sense to showcase him on a big stage.

However, a previous record of 22-60 shouldn't get a team anywhere near that close to a Christmas game. The Spurs will likely find themselves outside the playoffs once again, while Oklahoma City is eyeing the NBA Finals for the second straight year. In the past, the strength of teams on Christmas was what mattered most. Now, name and marketability seem to be top priorities.

For this reason, the Thunder will be under tremendous pressure to perform next season.

Oklahoma City has always felt written off. It plays in one of the smallest markets in the league and therefore naturally gets less attention, especially if it enters the lottery. Few would have predicted its 57 wins last year, but it defied its youth and managed to immediately catapult itself into the upper echelons of contenders. In the first round against the New Orleans Pelicans, there were even doubts as to whether the team would compete, but it quickly managed to win in four games.

The Thunder have realized they have to fight for national media attention. They are no Los Angeles or New York, they don't have a LeBron James or Stephen Curry. But they are on their way to becoming a team that consistently competes at the highest level and, in Gilgeous-Alexander, a true MVP candidate. Their talent may not have gotten the attention it deserves yet, but there is no doubt they will try to prove the doubters wrong again.

If Oklahoma City stays atop the conference for another year, Gilgeous-Alexander is back in the running for MVP honors, and the rest of the core team continues to improve, the NBA may have no choice but to give Oklahoma City a Christmas Day game. It will use this snub as motivation, just like all the other slights it has suffered in recent years.

At the end of the day, it's just a Christmas game. The Thunder players and staff can stay home and celebrate the holidays with their families and continue the regular season the next day. But it's a sign that the rest of the league isn't yet giving them the respect they want.

Oklahoma City is looking to earn it. It took a huge step forward last season, but that hasn't proven enough. It still needs to establish itself as a force at the top and extend its playoff success beyond the second round. If it needed another reason, it got it yesterday.

Do you want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with all the latest news from Thunder. You can also Meet the team behind the reporting.