Lakers-Clippers Was LeBron’s Least-Watched Christmas Game in 7 Years
LeBron James went 2-for-12 from beyond the arc in a loss to the rival Clippers on Christmas Day. That’s not all, though. James also wound up getting hurt and the game failed to deliver the mega rating ABC and ESPN had hoped. In fact, it was the least-watched Christmas Day game featuring LeBron James since 2013, according to Sports Media Watch.
The game averaged 8.76 million viewers, down 14 percent from last year’s Christmas Day game featuring LeBron against the Golden State Warriors and one percent from the Cavs-Warriors game two years ago.
The NBA's ugly year continues. The much-hyped Lakers-Clippers showdown was down 14 percent from LeBron's Christmas game last year. Overall, the day was down 10 percent.
Yikes.
— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) December 26, 2019
Per Sports Media Watch, the last Christmas Day game featuring LeBron that drew fewer eyeballs than this year was in 2013 when the James-led Miami Heat took on the Lakers. That said, the SMW article stated that the 2013 game was opposite an NFL game and that with “additional adjustments” to the 2019 ratings, the Clippers-Lakers game could surpass the one percent it’s currently down to the 2017 Christmas Day Cavs-Warriors game.
With the injury he aggravated on Christmas against the Clippers, LeBron is questionable for the Lakers’ next game against Portland on Saturday, December 28th.