2024-25 NBA Teams Ranked: Discover Who’s Dominating National TV Game Slots!

One of the most effective ways to gauge the NBA’s perception of your favorite basketball team is by tallying the number of nationally broadcast games assigned during the league’s yearly schedule release day.

The NBA fundamentally operates as an entertainment entity. The league prioritizes highlighting its top teams, even if there’s a noticeable bias towards franchises in larger markets (shoutout to Los Angeles, New York, and the Bay Area). This results in championship contenders receiving a greater share of nationally televised games, while teams projected to be near the bottom of the upcoming draft spend most of their time in front of local audiences.

In the current year, the NBA has allocated the highest number of nationally televised games—broadcasted on ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV—to the Los Angeles Lakers (39), Golden State Warriors (36), Boston Celtics (34), and New York Knicks (30). At the other end of the spectrum, the Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, and Toronto Raptors are tied for the fewest nationally televised games, each with just four.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are experiencing the most significant increase this year, going from 10 nationally broadcast games last season to 25 in the 2024–25 schedule. Other teams seeing notable increases include the Oklahoma City Thunder (+12 games), New York Knicks (+9), Indiana Pacers (+8), and Houston Rockets (+7), all gaining substantial exposure compared to the previous year.

Continue reading to explore the complete list of nationally televised games assigned to all 30 NBA teams. (Note: If you’re interested in how many national TV games each team received, excluding NBA TV—meaning only those on ESPN, ABC, and TNT—please scroll down to the second table.)

Keep in mind that not every NBA fan has access to NBA TV. Here’s a breakdown of the nationally televised games that each team will participate in on ESPN, ABC, and TNT:

The 2024–25 NBA season is set to commence on October 22 with a doubleheader on TNT, featuring the Knicks facing off against the Celtics at TD Garden and the Timberwolves taking on the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.