The LeBron James vs. Steph Curry rivalry continues to uplift the NBA, as Thursday’s Lakers/Warriors matchup delivered a huge ratings number. According to TNT Sports, the Los Angeles vs. Golden State game averaged 2.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched NBA telecast on cable this year outside of the Opening Night and Christmas games. It also ranks as TNT’s most-watched non-Opening Night matchup between LeBron James and Stephen Curry in six years.
NBA Communications chimed in, adding that, “In addition to the game averaging 2.5 million viewers on TNT, truTV and MAX, Warriors-Lakers was the most-watched regular season game internationally on NBA League Pass this season. NBA topics represented the No. 1 trending topic on X in the U.S. for 10 straight hours last night.”
The viewership number shows the stable popularity of the NBA in a season where rating dips were overemphasized and fan loss was overexaggerated. LeBron James and Steph Curry have been the marquee stars for the league, and their matchups always deliver huge viewership. Their 2024 Christmas Day matchup, which ended in a thrilling Lakers victory, averaged 7.76 million viewers on ABC in primetime with no significant competition from the NFL or other sports entities.
Thursday evening’s matchup was of high importance, as the Lakers and Warriors both fight for playoff seeding in a hyper-competitive Western Conference where the only team that is safe in their position in the standings is the Oklahoma City Thunder. One playoff seeding scenario that could be interesting is the Lakers and Warriors facing off again in the opening round of the Playoffs. The Lakers and Warriors could finish the season with the fourth and fifth seed, respectively, putting the NBA world in a perfect position for a high-stakes first-round battle that will draw interest from around the sports world.
The viewership numbers show that excitement around the James vs. Curry matchup remains strong. However, the audience could grow even larger for the NBA depending on how both teams perform as the season’s final games approach.
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