Looks like all the hype over LeBron James going to South Beach and the Big Three in Miami becoming the villains of the NBA may produce some staggering numbers for the league.

NBA.com reported record-setting ratings for the NBA Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers vs. Houston Rockets games last night. With the Heat and Celtics match-up being one of the most anticipated season openers in NBA history, that’s no surprise.

TNT’s second game of a double header followed the Celtics victory over Miami and the Big Three and included the Lakers receiving their NBA Championship rings and raising the team’s banner courtside in Los Angeles.

The viewing audience was reported to average a 3.5 US rating, 5,493,000 total viewers and 4,025,000 households for the night.

Of those figures, the Heat vs. Celtics game earned a 4.6 US rating and had 7,433,000 total viewers and 5,339,000 households, making it the most viewed NBA regular season game of all-time on cable TV, beating out the LA Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls game back on Feb. 2, 1996.

The game two on TNT in Los Angeles last night delivered a 2.4 US rating, 3,719,000 total viewers and 2,823,000 households.

NBA: Heat Fizzle out, Celts win 88-80 – Sports Climax

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

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