Spotlight On LeBron James, Steph Curry Keeps Miami Heat Off National TV Radar

Shandel Richardson | Aug 16, 2024

Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; USA basketball assistant coach Erik Spoelstra before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday. Fox Sports 1 talk show host Colin Cowherd turned the subject to the top four NBA teams with the most national television appearances this season.

They are the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, who all have at least 31 games. The Celtics make sense because they are the defending champions. It does for the Knicks, who are contenders after adding to the roster.

But the Lakers and the Warriors are nowhere near contending status. Cowherd made the point it was the LeBron James and Stephen Curry factor. Because of their peak longevitity, their teams are must-see TV.

James and Curry remaining among the league's best players is part of the reason teams like the Miami Heat are near the bottom of the spotlight list. The Heat have just 14 games on national television this season.

That lumped the Heat with the likes of the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. The Orlando Magic are the only playoff team from last year with fewer national games than the Heat.

Apparently, body of work over time (Curry and James) trumps recent success. The Heat have more NBA Finals appearances (2) than eight of the teams combined ahead of them in national TV games.

It's not like the Heat lack star power. There is Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and even Jaime Jaquez. Maybe it's just not enough?

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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