ORLANDO, Fla. -- Magic center Dwight Howard won't be showing up dressed as Santa Claus, but he was plenty enthused when asked Thursday night about the opportunity of playing on Christmas Day.Don't be surprised if he shows up Saturday morning to play the Boston Celtics carrying a sack of gifts over his shoulder. The kid in him was obvious.
"It's Christmas time and teams that don't play on Christmas aren't any good,'' Howard said. "So it feels good to play on Christmas because that's a big-time game. I'm happy to be part of it. Families around the world will be opening their gifts and watching us play.
Howard's reaction to playing on Christmas Day was in stark contrast to the thoughts of Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Heat star LeBron James. Jackson was highly critical of the league for scheduling games on the holiday. James said he just didn't enjoy playing on the day.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was fined last season for being critical of the league for playing on the holiday. This is the third consecutive year the Magic have played a home game on Christmas Day.
"I just think it's a great idea,'' Howard said. "It's something I look forward to.''
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