NBA insider takes a shot at LeBron James and Stephen Curry for low ratings

The NBA has been navigating a challenging era with declining television ratings. However, this season’s Christmas Day games provided a glimmer of hope, delivering the highest audience numbers in five years. Despite this success, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons suggested that while stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry remain a draw for viewers, their dominance could also hinder the league’s ability to showcase new talent.

“There’s been so much ‘what’s wrong with the NBA’ stuff,” Simmons said on his podcast. “The Steph-LeBron thing last night was the solution and the problem at the same time. It’s like the Olympics—it was awesome watching those guys.”

“But it’s still coming at the expense of everybody else,” he added. “Even yesterday, that prime eight o’clock spot—after football was over—was the signature game. And it’s two .500 teams with guys who’ve been in the league since 2003 and 2009. Meanwhile, OKC wasn’t even on Christmas Day.”

Simmons pointed to past ratings benchmarks for comparison. In 2015, the Cavaliers-Warriors Christmas Day showdown drew an average of 11.2 million viewers, making it the third most-watched Christmas Day game in history.

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is fouled by LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Chase Center on Christmas Day. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The following season also delivered impressive numbers, with 10.1 million viewers. Simmons suggested the league’s current focus on veteran stars like James and Curry might overshadow the emergence of the next generation of players.

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“Giannis wasn’t on Christmas Day. Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] was buried at the start of the day. The NBA is kind of doing this to itself,” Simmons explained. “At the same time, I get it—Steph and LeBron were awesome. You can go glass half-full or half-empty. But the fact that the Steph-LeBron game was so good and dominated the day is actually part of the problem.”

LeBron’s message to the NFL

The Lakers’ thrilling 115-113 victory over the Warriors became the most-watched regular-season game of the year, drawing 7.76 million viewers. In the postgame interview, LeBron James didn’t miss the chance to stake the NBA’s claim on the holiday.

“I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day,” James told ABC’s Lisa Salters. While the NBA celebrated its milestone, the NFL continued to set records. The league reported that its Christmas Day matchups averaged 65 million viewers on streaming services, further cementing its dominance in U.S. sports viewership.

Kevin Durant sees hope

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant reflected on the Christmas Day games, expressing optimism that the strong viewership numbers could reignite fans’ passion for the NBA.

“Today was a step in the right direction to get people excited again for the game of basketball,” Durant told ESPN after leading the Suns to a 110-100 win over the Nuggets. “Hopefully it’s not just because it’s Christmas. Hopefully they stay invested in the game, in each player, each team throughout the rest of the season—not just the playoffs or the Finals”.