To no surprise, Lakers get the most national TV audiences in 2018-19

By Cody Rivera | Aug 11, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Randy Mims (L) and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

NBA fans will be getting plenty of opportunities to watch LeBron James and the Lakers this season.

The NBA has certainly never shied away from doing what’s considered best for business, and that includes giving the teams that will draw the most viewers as many opportunities to play on national television as possible.

That won’t be changing for the upcoming season, as fans across the country will be getting plenty of the new-look Los Angeles Lakers, or maybe that should be the LeBron James Lakers.

The NBA recently released its full schedule for the 2018-19 season, and to no surprise, the Lakers will be playing more nationally televised games than any other team in the league — including the powerhouse Golden State Warriors. The Lakers are in the top spot with 43 national TV games, followed by the Warriors with 40, then the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers with 39 games each.

This is to be expected. Even during down seasons, the Lakers are still one of the best television draws in the league. This has plenty to do with the fact that they’re one of the most successful and historic franchises in the NBA. They have a long history of great players, like Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar just to name a few, and even though all of those players are long gone, fans still enjoy seeing the classic purple and gold on their TV screens. Not to mention that the Lakers have won more championships (16) than any other NBA team except the Celtics.

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So then when you throw in LeBron, the greatest player of this generation, to that mix, then you have a television goldmine. In addition to signing the best player in the world, the Lakers recently announced that they are bringing back the classic “Showtime” jerseys that they wore during the 1980s, when Magic Johnson led them to five NBA titles.

It’s no joke; the Lakers will be must-see TV this season. Good thing they’ll be getting plenty of TV time.

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