James will make his return to Cleveland on Nov. 21 to face Tyronn Lue and the CavaliersNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The perception that the Lakers will be one of the NBA's "top draws" this season with the addition of LeBron James was "reinforced Friday afternoon when the NBA released its full schedule," according to Kyle Goon of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. The Lakers will have 43 games on national TV for the '18-19 season, which is three more than the Warriors. James "makes his Lakers home debut" against the Rockets on Oct. 20 on ESPN and will "make his return to Cleveland" on Nov. 21 on ESPN. Additionally, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry will "get an injection" from James on Feb. 7 (TNT) and then again on March 9 (ABC). The NBA also announced Christmas and Martin Luther King Jr. Day games for the Lakers against the Warriors. The Lakers are "no strangers to national TV presence, playing 35 such games last season." But with James, there is "added gravitas." Of the 43 national TV games, "four will air on ABC, 13 will air on TNT and 14 will air on ESPN." Lakers-Rockets on Jan. 19 also is ABC’s "first prime-time Saturday game of the season." Another 12 Lakers games will be on NBA TV (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 8/11). ESPN.com's Ian Begley noted the Lakers lead the league with 31 games broadcast nationally when excluding NBA TV. The Warriors and Rockets follow with 28, and three teams are tied for third with 27 (Celtics, Thunder, 76ers) (ESPN.com, 8/10).
OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: In New Orleans, Scott Kushner noted the Pelicans will "play a franchise-record 13 games on either ESPN or TNT next season, spurred by an appearance in the second round" of the playoffs and the "superstardom" of C Anthony Davis. That figure is a "far cry" from the seven ESPN or TNT games last season (New Orleans ADVOCATE, 8/11). In Chicago, Joe Cowley wrote the Bulls' national schedule shows that rebuilds "still don't merit national attention." Cowley: "Need proof? The schedule features just four nationally televised games, three on ESPN and one on TNT." It is an "upgrade from last season's 27-win campaign but still a message that TV executives don't consider the Bulls a prime-time product" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/11).
