In case you haven’t been on social media lately, it’s clear that the NBA is an old industry. Everywhere you look you will find many critics and fans saying that the game is dead. Then funnily enough, when the NBA was blessed with two teams with some of the best starts in league history, something magical happened. People cared.
It was released via NBA on X where the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 1.87 million viewers. Not only was this a 20% increase over last season, but the game also peaked at 2.5 million viewers.
The highly-anticipated OKC-CLE game averaged 1.87 million viewers on ESPN Wednesday night, up +20% versus the comparable window last year. The game peaked with 2.5 million viewers. A back-and-forth contest that included 30 lead changes pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers into first place. pic.twitter.com/WLMZLbffUH
– NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 10, 2025
The league took this matchup more seriously than any mid-January game I can remember. Preparations have been extended all week as this could be the game of the season. ESPN was hyping it up in a way usually reserved for playoff games. Social media was abuzz as the best offense was matched up against the best defence. In a league driven by narratives, big markets and stars, it was nice to see some brilliance in two small, elite teams in the market.
This is a good model for the NBA moving forward because they are usually the kings of renovations when it comes to knowing where to shine the spotlight. As dominant as the Cavaliers and Thunder are as they have been thus far, it still feels like we’re being force-fed the same storylines. List of star tiers, typical trade deadlines, and “Which star wants out next?” They are typical themes in the world of the NBA.
The league places great emphasis off the court when elite basketball is played. Instead of playing story time and treating the league like ads, sit back and watch games like the Cavaliers and Thunder on TV. Those games should be making headlines, not that Jimmy Butler removed all photos of the Heat from his Instagram account.
Not only has basketball gotten worse, the focus on the league has been lost. These results are a reminder of that.