With the advent of the internet and online streaming, TV ratings across the board are not what they once were.
Still, as followers of the NBA can attest to, it’s still fun to learn about which games still draw a ton of viewers in the traditional sense – on TV.
So with the 2022 NBA Finals on the brink of being decided, we decided to take a look at the NBA Finals games with the highest ratings in league history.
Spoiler alert: A lot of them involve His Airness, Michael Jordan.
Check out what we found below.
Source: SportsMediaWatch
1. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 6
Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 22.3
Viewers: 35.89 million
Score: Chicago 87, Utah 86
2. LA Lakers vs. Detroit: 1988 Finals, Game 7
Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images
Rating: 21.2
Score: LA Lakers 108, Detroit 105
3. Chicago vs. Phoenix: 1993 Finals, Game 6
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Rating: 20.3
Score: Chicago 99, Phoenix 98
4. Chicago vs. Utah: 1997 Finals, Game 5
Brian Bahr / Getty Images
Rating: 20.1
Viewers: 30.26 million
Score: Utah 88, Chicago 90
5. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 5
Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 19.8
Viewers: 30.59 million
Score: Chicago 81, Utah 83
5. Chicago vs. Phoenix: 1993 Finals, Game 4
Rating: 19.8
Score: Chicago 111, Phoenix 105
7. Chicago vs. LA Lakers: 1991 Finals, Game 5
Mike Powell
Rating: 19.7
Score: Chicago 108, LA Lakers 101
8. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 4
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
Rating: 19.1
Viewers: 28.79 million
Score: Chicago 86, Utah 82
9. Chicago vs. Phoenix: 1993 Finals, Game 5
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Rating: 19.0
Score: Chicago 98, Phoenix 108
10. Chicago vs. Seattle: 1996 Finals, Game 6
BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 18.8
Score: Chicago 87, Seattle 75
11. Chicago vs. Utah: 1997 Finals, Game 6
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 18.5
Viewers: 28.70 million
Score: Chicago 90, Utah 86
12. Chicago vs. Seattle: 1996 Finals, Game 4
DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 18.1
Score: Seattle 107, Chicago 86
13. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 1
PETE PAWINSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 18.0
Viewers: 26.68 million
Score: Utah 88, Chicago 85
14. New York vs. Houston: 1994 Finals, Game 7
Allsport
Rating: 17.9
Score: Houston 90, New York 84
15. Detroit vs. LA Lakers: 1989 Finals, Game 4
MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Rating: 17.4
Score: Detroit 105, LA Lakers 97
16. Chicago vs. Seattle: 1996 Finals, Game 5
Rating: 17.2
Score: Seattle 89, Chicago 78
17. Chicago vs. Phoenix: 1993 Finals, Game 3
USA TODAY Sports
Rating: 17.0
Score: Phoenix 129, Chicago 121 (Triple overtime)
18. Chicago vs. Utah: 1997 Finals, Game 4
Photo by JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 16.9
Viewers: 26.36 million
Score: Utah 78, Chicago 73
19. Chicago vs. Seattle: 1996 Finals, Game 1
Rating: 16.8
Score: Chicago 107, Seattle 90
19. Chicago vs. Phoenix: 1993 Finals, Game 1
USA TODAY Sports
Rating: 16.8
Score: Chicago 100, Phoenix 92
21. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 2
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 16.6
Viewers: 26.30 million
Score: Utah 88, Chicago 93
22. Chicago vs. Utah: 1998 Finals, Game 3
JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 16.2
Viewers: 25.70 million
Score: Chicago 96, Utah 54
23. Chicago vs. LA Lakers: 1991 Finals, Game 2
Allsport
Rating: 16.1
Score: Chicago 107, LA Lakers 86
23. LA Lakers vs. Detroit: 1988 Finals, Game 5
MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Rating: 16.1
Score: Detroit 104, LA Lakers 94
25. Golden State vs. Cleveland: 2016 Finals, Game 7
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Rating: 15.8
Viewers: 31.02 million
Score: Golden State 89, Cleveland 93
25. Chicago vs. Utah: 1997 Finals, Game 1
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY
Rating: 15.8
Viewers: 24.71 million
Score: Chicago 84, Utah 82
25. Chicago vs. Seattle: 1996 Finals, Game 3
BRIAN BAHR/AFP via Getty Images)
Rating: 15.8
Score: Seattle 86, Chicago 108
28. Chicago vs. LA Lakers: 1991 Finals, Game 3
Mike Powell /Allsport
Rating: 15.7
Score: LA Lakers 96, Chicago 104
29. LA Lakers vs. Boston: 2010 Finals, Game 7
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Rating: 15.6
Viewers: 28.20 million
Score: LA Lakers 83, Boston 79
30. Miami vs. San Antonio: 2013 Finals, Game 7
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Rating: 15.3
Viewers: 26.32 million
Score: Miami 95, San Antonio 88