Lakers set for surprising amount of national TV games despite LeBron James exit
The Lakers are set to begin their first season without LeBron James since the 2017-2018 season, and are ready to fully embrace the Luka Doncic era.Clearly, the NBA still sees plenty of value with Los Angeles to be shown in the national spotlight quite often.During the NBA’s schedule release on Thursday afternoon, it was revealed that Los Angeles will have 34 nationally televised games, tying them for the most in the NBA.
Three other teams, the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and the Philadelphia 76ers, each appear 34 times as well.Ten of the Lakers’ nationally televised games will be broadcasted on NBC, 10 on Prime Video, nine on ESPN, and five on ABC.The Lakers’ season will begin on October 21, on ESPN, when they host the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.The team will have two more nationally televised games the following week against the Portland Trail Blazers on Peacock, on October 27, and the Warriors again on October 30, on Prime Video.James will be making his return to Los Angeles in a family affair on Christmas Day, when the team is set to host the Philadelphia 76ers, during the 2:00 p.m.
slate of the day.Not only will it be the first time James is facing the Lakers, but also the first time he competes against his son Bronny.The two teams will face each other again when Los Angeles travels to Philadelphia on March 4 and will play at 4:00 p.m.Both of their matchups against the NBA Champion New York Knicks will come after Christmas as the team will travel out to Madison Square Garden on January 30, which will be aired on ABC.
Their second matchup against them will come nearly a month after the NBA trade deadline, on March 11, aired on Prime Video.Two of their three matchups against the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs will be on the road when they play them on November 27, aired on Prime Video at 6:30 p.m., and on February 6, at 5:30 p.m.on ABC.
Their lone home game against them will be on Sunday, April 4 at 7 p.m., and will ...