Lakers-Warriors was most-watched conference semifinal in 27 years
The Western Conference semifinal series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors delivered big numbers for the NBA.
The series - which saw the Lakers eliminate the defending champion Warriors in six games - averaged 7.8 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, and TNT to become the most-watched NBA conference semifinal series in 27 years, the league announced Monday.
The previous most-watched conference semifinal was a 1996 matchup between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks, which averaged 11.18 million viewers, according to Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch.
L.A. and Golden State have been major draws all season long. Their season opener on Oct. 18 was among the most expensive NBA regular-season games ever, and they were the top two sellers on the league's team merchandise list for the second half of the 2022-23 campaign.