The NBA has seen numerous highly exciting matches over the past several decades, with buzzer beaters, rivalries and MVP-showings highlighting the league’s extraordinarily high-octane nature.
All these factors make the NBA particularly suitable for sports betting, with various wager types available. Online sportsbooks nowadays can offer generous promotions for first-time and existing customers, helping them take advantage of deposit matches, free bets and more. Finding the best welcome bonus Canada players can enjoy is straightforward with the right resources – take a look before deciding on a sportsbook, as it can make all the difference.
With this in mind, let’s check out the most watched NBA matches of all time:
NBA Finals 2023 Game 2: Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets
Billed as a showdown between two NBA greats – Jimmy Butler and Nikola Jokić – Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals attracted one of the highest spectator volumes of all time. This was no surprise, either, as the Nuggets had comprehensively won the first game, but basketball experts knew the Heat weren’t about to lie down that easily.
In one of the best games in basketball history, Jimmy Butler and company pulled off a last-gasp victory on Denver’s home turf, surprising many bettors who had Nikola Jokić’s team as nailed-on favorites.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Boston Celtics (Christmas 2022)
Christmas NBA games always attract high viewership volumes, with the general public off work and suitably excited by the festive period. The 2022 clash between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics was a great example, with it being particularly difficult to forecast a potential winner. On the one hand, the Celtics had Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, while the Bucks had the legendary Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It was a field day for these three players as they threw up impressive statistics. The Boston Celtics ended as the deserved winners, with the huge 139-118 scoreline reflective of the talent on the court.
NBA Finals 2020 Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers vs Miami Heat
The news that Oregon State guard Jordan Pope has moved got us thinking of a hotly-anticipated match featuring California’s Los Angeles Lakers. Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals was spearheaded by the legendary LeBron James, but his team didn’t find the contest as easy as many fans had hoped.
In what almost became a straight head-to-head contest between Jimmy Butler and LeBron James, the 2020 NBA Finals went to a sixth game. Analysts couldn’t decide which team to pick, making it one of the most popular basketball matchups for sports predictions ever recorded.
Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors (2022 season opener)
The Californian rivalry runs deep between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. It’s something that also makes these games incredibly popular for sports fans – none more so than the 2022 season opener in San Francisco, where Stephen Curry and LeBron James went head-to-head in a battle for the ages. The Warriors ended up winning in a 123-109 scoreline, with Curry making 33 points in the process.