LeBron James' return to Cleveland was a success for ESPN.
According to Ben Cafardo, Communications Director at ESPN, the Lakers-Cavs game last week averaged 3,764,000 viewers, making it ESPN's most-watched regular-season game since Christmas 2015.
Last week's Thanksgiving Eve @ESPNNBA doubleheader was significant success. @KingJames' return to #Cleveland for Lakers-Cavs averaged 3,764,000 viewers, making it @ESPN's most-watched regular season NBA game since Christmas 2015, surpassing the Warriors 73-win record game in '16. pic.twitter.com/vB3lSL7gMQ
— Ben Cafardo (@Ben_ESPN) November 27, 2018
LeBron James and the Lakers defeated the Cavs by a final score of 109-105. It was James' first and only game back in Cleveland this season after the four-time MVP left the Cavs over the summer to sign with the Lakers.
LeBron led the Cavs to four straight Finals appearances in his second stint with Cleveland. The Cavs won it all in 2016 over the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first team in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit. LeBron finishes his Cavs career (if he's truly done in Cleveland) with averages of 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists. The four-time MVP will have his jersey retired by the Cavs one day.
Considering this was the only time LeBron James was going to play the Cavs this season in Cleveland, the viewership numbers aren't that surprising. People generally wanted to know what the crowd reception was going to be like for James. It was completely different from what happened back in 2010 when James came back as a member of the Miami Heat and was booed every time he touched the ball.
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