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The ratings for NBA games have seen all-time highs as stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have taken the league by storm. They drove the player empowerment movement and brought the league into a place where stars dominate.
Curry, for instance, has been in all 27 regular season games that had more than 14 million viewers since 2015.
Of course, the ratings go even higher when the stakes are raised. The NBA Finals are often the most watched games during a season as casual basketball fans tune in and boost the ratings.
The 2023 NBA playoffs were the most watched playoffs of all time with an average of 5.12 million viewers across all games.
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This was achieved despite the recent trends of cord-cutting and TV ratings dropping.
The Finals have seen higher ratings earlier as well with the previous season’s matchup between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
On that note, let’s take a look at the most-watched Finals games of all time.
#5 - Chicago Bulls vs Utah Jazz, 1998 Game 5
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominate this list. The Bulls' dynastic run in the '90s garnered the most television viewers in NBA history.
Game 5 of the 1998 Finals garnered 30.6 million viewers. It was expected to be Jordan’s final run with the Bulls as people tuned in to see his greatness.
The Bulls were up 3-1 in the series and went for the title-clinching win. Jordan struggled on his home floor. Chicago could not overcome Karl Malone’s 39 points, and the Jazz won 83-81 to extend the series.
#4 - Chicago Bulls vs Utah Jazz, 1997 Game 5
The same two teams appear again on the list but one year earlier. This game went down as one of the biggest in Jordan’s legendary career and is widely known as the “Flu Game.”
Jordan put on an incredible performance as he fought through flu-like symptoms to score 38 points before being carried off the floor by his teammates due to exhaustion. The Bulls' 90-88 victory was viewed by 31.0 million viewers.
#3 - Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors, 2016 Game 7
One of the most famous games in NBA history was the dramatic showdown between the Warriors and the Cavaliers in 2016.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led one of the greatest upsets in NBA history. The Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit and beat the 73-win Warriors on their home floor in Game 7.
A total of 31.02 million viewers watched as Irving hit a clutch, deep 3-pointer to seal the first-ever title for Cleveland.
#2 - Chicago Bulls vs Phoenix Suns, 1993 Game 6
A record was created when 32.1 million viewers tuned in to watch Jordan and the Bulls shut down Charles Barkley and the Suns.
The Bulls dramatically won the game at the last minute. They won the series and lifted the trophy. It was their third straight championship. Jordan averaged an insane 41.0 ppg in the series.
#1 - Chicago Bulls vs Utah Jazz, 1998 Game 6
The Bulls and Jazz make the list again. Game 6 of the 1998 Finals set a record for the most-watched NBA game ever with 35.89 million viewers.
In this battle, Jordan made his now iconic shot after an incredible steal to give the Bulls the lead with 5.2 seconds left on the clock. It was Chicago’s second three-peat and Jordan’s sixth title. It was also his final game as a Chicago Bull.
