Disney is bringing some Mickey Mouse magic to the NBA on Christmas.
The company announced Wednesday that it will offer a Disney-themed alternative broadcast of the New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs game set for 10 a.m. MST on Dec. 25.
In the broadcast, animated versions of players like Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson will face off on Main Street, USA, in Magic Kingdom at Disney World.
“Through state-of-the-art real-time visualization technology ... fans watching ‘Dunk the Halls’ will see every three-pointer, dunk, layup, pass and more from the real-life Spurs vs. Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York as it happens,” NBA.com reported.
Fans will also see beloved Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck cheering on the players from the sidelines.
And at halftime, “the Disney characters, led by Mickey Mouse, will compete in a special slam dunk contest,” NBA.com reported.
Disney’s twist on the NBA on Christmas tradition will build on other kid-friendly sports broadcasts, like Nickelodeon’s NFL games.
Those Nickelodeon games involve clever — and slimey — explanations of NFL rules and guest appearances by Nickelodeon stars.
NBA on Christmas
In total, five NBA games will be played on Christmas this year, per ESPN.
- Spurs at Knicks at 10 a.m. MST
- Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks at 12:30 p.m. MST
- Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics at 3 p.m. MST
- Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors at 6 p.m. MST
- Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns at 8:30 p.m. MST
The Disney broadcast of the Knicks-Spurs game will air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+ and Disney+.
The conventional broadcast of that game and the other NBA on Christmas games will be available on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Disney+.