The Cleveland Cavaliers went from much-watch TV to almost receiving the lowest amount of primetime games in the NBA. It’s the LeBron effect.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were given seven games on national television this season. Of those, five are on NBA TV and two are on ESPN. TNT and ABC, the other two major NBA networks, didn’t give the Cavs any love.
The Cavs were given about 38 games last season which were on the Big 4 NBA networks. However, we can attribute this falling off to none other than the LeBron James effect.
James is a superstar. James, not the Cavaliers, is much-watch TV, and his transition to Los Angeles this offseason created a lack of national attention on the Cavaliers.
Additionally, with a young roster and a lacking of elite talent, the Cavs wouldn’t draw the rating that a young and talented team like Philadelphia would. And, as we’ve seen with the amount of ‘loyal’ fanbases that have traded fan-favorite, superstar players, this business is exactly that.
A business.
Unless you’re New York or Los Angeles, you aren’t guaranteed a full slate of nationally televised games, and that’s just how it is. In the near future, the Cavs hope to return to that style of play that craves national attention though, and with Sexton leading the way, it’s hoped to be sooner rather than later.
The other aspect of the Cavs that doesn’t help is that Kevin Love is their most well-known athlete. Love is a great and known player, but he’s not a top-25 player in terms of talent or popularity, meaning his Cavaliers suffer.
Over the last two offseasons, the Cavaliers have completely messed up a team that made a historic Finals run in 2016. While you can’t put that all on the Cavs, they didn’t have to trade Kyrie Irving and they certainly could’ve done more to keep their hometown hero LeBron James.
That’s in the past now, and the future is ever before us. We need to look and be excited to watch Collin Sexton and put so many eyes and so much attention on the new and exciting players in Cleveland that the national networks want to showcase their games.
It’s on the fans, it’s on the players, and most importantly, it’s on the front office to make Cleveland relevant again. If the process goes as many hope, it will be just a few years before the eyes are locking in on the Cavs once again.