The NBA released the schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 season on Thursday, highlighting the opening week’s slate of games, matchups on Christmas Day as well as the third edition of Rivalry Week. We’re just over two months away from Opening Night on Oct. 22, so all attention between now and then will be on the excitement for next season. But beyond all the intrigue around matchups like Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area on Nov. 12, or Paul George returning to play the Clippers on Nov. 6, another interesting wrinkle with the schedule release is looking at which teams will be seen the most on a national stage.
The league never puts a focus on telling us which teams are getting the most nationally televised games, but it doesn’t take too much time to scan through every team’s schedule and figure out where they all rank in that category. At the top of the list is nothing too surprising — you’ve got the biggest brands in the leagues leading the way, as well as the reigning champions. But looking at which teams are getting the most games on national television also tells us which squads or players the league views as being on the rise and which ones have fallen out of favor in terms of interest. You can also see how offseason moves impact the number of games each team gets on national television.
With that being said, let’s look at where all 30 teams rank in nationally televised games for the 2024-25 season and give some insight into why they are where they are. For the purpose of this, only games on ESPN/ABC and TNT will count as nationally televised games, as NBATV is not a channel everyone gets.
Number of nationally televised games: 1
This isn’t surprising in the slightest. What is surprising is the Wizards’ lone nationally televised game is a Jan. 16 meeting with the Phoenix Suns at home. I was expecting the league to have either one of the Oct. 28 or Oct. 30 matchups pitting the No. 1 pick in this summer’s draft Zaccharie Risacher against No. 2 pick Alex Starr when the Wizards have a home-and-home against the Hawks. But the league clearly didn’t favor either of those games.
If Lonzo Ball had not suffered an injury, the franchise’s fortunes may have been different. However, they are now facing the upcoming year with the lowest expectations in about four years. The Atlanta Hawks, despite landing the No. 1 overall pick, only have two nationally televised games, both against last year’s top pick, Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs. Houston, with the potential to be a play-in team, has three nationally televised games and a promising lineup of young rising stars. The Magic, with five nationally televised games, may not be higher on the list due to their defensive style of play, but they had an exciting playoff series last season. The Kings, with six nationally televised games, are known for their electrifying offense and recently added DeMar DeRozan to the roster. The Heat, with seven nationally televised games, are a perplexing team that often makes deep playoff runs despite average regular seasons. The Cavaliers, with eight nationally televised games, have a star in Donovan Mitchell but fell short of a higher ranking due to their second-round playoff exit last season. The Pelicans, also with nine nationally televised games, have been held back by Zion Williamson’s injuries but are still considered an electrifying team when healthy. The Grizzlies, also with nine nationally televised games, are expected to be exciting with Ja Morant back in action after a lost season due to suspension and injury. The Clippers, with nine nationally televised games, have dealt with injuries but still have stars like Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The Pacers, with nine nationally televised games, surprised some with their strong offense last season, and their number of games may increase if they continue on their current path. The Spurs, with 13 nationally televised games, are boosted by the presence of Victor Wembanyama, who impressed during France’s Olympic run. This time, with Chris Paul in the backcourt, the Spurs will be must-watch television, even if they don’t win many games. When it comes to matchups in the NBA, you can always count on a lot of emotion and trash talking on both sides. However, one particular matchup that is sure to be filled with intensity is between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. With 27 nationally televised games, the Lakers are always a big draw thanks to their star player LeBron James. Despite not making it far in the playoffs last season, the Celtics are determined to defend their title and prove they deserve more respect. It’s a clash of two iconic teams with a rich history, making it a must-watch for any basketball fan. The Lakers may have the star power, but the Celtics have the heart and motivation to come out on top. Get ready for an epic showdown that will have fans on the edge of their seats.