In a move as bold as a Curry half-court shot and as powerful as a LeBron slam dunk, the NBA is reviving the iconic Jingle Hoops campaign for Christmas Day games. Titled Jingle Hoops Regifted, the updated ad features stunning animation of LeBron James and Steph Curry leading a fantastical basketball symphony that rivals anything Disney or Pixar might create. But as the excitement grows, so does the controversy surrounding the league’s increasingly theatrical marketing strategies.
The original Jingle Hoops campaign, released in 2013, captured hearts with its simplicity: a group of NBA stars shooting basketballs into hoops that “played” Deck the Halls. It was fun, festive, and—most importantly—it highlighted the players’ skill without overshadowing the essence of the game. However, Jingle Hoops Regifted takes a decidedly different approach.
The ad trades live-action charm for an animated spectacle that many argue feels more like a high-budget movie trailer than a celebration of basketball. LeBron and Curry are depicted as superhero-like figures who conjure glowing basketballs and execute gravity-defying moves in a winter wonderland. It’s visually stunning, no doubt, but has the NBA crossed the line into overproduced absurdity?
Critics are divided. Fans of the campaign applaud the creativity and argue that it’s a fitting nod to two of the most iconic players of the modern era. The animation, they say, is a fresh way to engage younger audiences while honoring the league’s global appeal.
But others aren’t so sure. “What does this have to do with actual basketball?” one commentator asked on social media. “The NBA is becoming more about entertainment than the sport itself.” Some have even accused the league of trying to overshadow the actual Christmas Day games with marketing gimmicks, raising questions about whether the NBA’s priorities are shifting too far toward spectacle at the expense of substance.
The ad also stirs up deeper conversations about the commercialization of sports. Are campaigns like Jingle Hoops Regifted celebrating the game, or are they reducing it to a product for mass consumption? With the NBA increasingly leaning into digital innovation, some fear the focus on theatrics risks alienating traditionalists who value the sport’s raw authenticity.
LeBron and Curry, of course, are no strangers to polarizing headlines, and their involvement has only added to the buzz. For some, their participation in such a grandiose campaign cements their status as cultural icons. For others, it feels like the league is exploiting their star power to distract from deeper concerns, such as declining viewership for regular-season games.
As the NBA continues to balance its dual roles as a sports league and entertainment powerhouse, Jingle Hoops Regifted may serve as a defining moment in its evolution. Whether you view it as a slam dunk or an airball, one thing is certain: people are talking, and that’s exactly what the NBA wants.
The real question is whether the Christmas Day games themselves will live up to the hype—or if they’ll end up feeling like the underwhelming second act of a holiday blockbuster. Only time will tell if this “regifted” idea was worth unwrapping.