Five months after breaking Cleveland’s hearts and taking his talents to the Miami Heat, LeBron James returned to the city that loved him for the first time as the Heat conquered the Cavaliers.
LeBron James’ Return To Cleveland Draws Big Ratings, Beats NFL
The NBA cannot often boast beating the NFL in the ratings war, but Thursday’s night spectacle in which LeBron James returned to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat did the trick. According to TNT, which broadcast the game, Heat vs. Cavs drew an overnight 5.0 rating nationwide and a 25.9 rating in Cleveland.
The NFL’s Thursday night Texans vs. Eagles game on NFL Network drew an overnight 4.1 rating, according to USA Today. TNT reaches far more households than NFL Network, however, and the NBA game peaked during player introductions as viewers were most interested in how Cleveland would greet LeBron. (Answer: boos, not surprisingly.)
Read Article >Heat Vs. Cavaliers: Miami’s Lead Swells To 30 Halfway Through The Third
The ‘asshole’ chants started up again with fervor when the Cavaliers trapped James and forced the ball out of bounds. The poor fans are looking for any excuse to get involved in the game again. Unfortunately, every time Cleveland was able to make some sort of potentially momentum-changing play, Miami forced a turnover and capitalized on the other end.
Dwayne Wade was still shooting lights out, 10 of 14 from the field for 22. Lebron James continued an impressive night in spite of all this, shooting five for five in the first half of the third quarter.
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