The NBA recently released its full schedule. If you look through the national TV schedule, you will see plenty of LeBron James , Steph Curry , and Kevin Durant . But the next wave of young American stars continues to be ignored. The NBA is making a mistake by ignoring the young, up-and-coming American players. The risk is that they might run into a challenge of finding an American-born player to market as the next star.
Yes, LeBron and Curry are still some of the biggest stars in the world. But if the NBA continues to push aging and familiar superstars, while hiding its future stars, there will be fewer players to market once the trio of KD, Steph, and LeBron retire.
The NBA Keeps Burying Its Brightest Young American Stars
Adam Silver and the league continue to say they want to grow the game. But their national TV schedule doesn’t say it. For example, young stars like Paolo Banchero , Tyrese Maxey , Cade Cunningham , and Trae Young get hardly any spotlight.
For comparison, the Warriors have more nationally televised games than the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons combined. That is a problem the NBA cannot afford to have.
Why National TV Matters
Anthony Edwards is finally getting some much-needed attention and recognition. But he is not the only American-born young star who can get fans excited. There are plenty of stars under 25 years old who could define the next decade of basketball. They are athletic, competitive, and marketable. Yet, the NBA seems content to favor big markets and big cities.
National TV games are not just for ratings ; they are for planting the seeds for tomorrow. When the NBA chooses an old storyline over a new one, it delays the moment when these young stars can break into the mainstream.
National TV exposure equals mainstream recognition, sponsorship opportunities, fan base growth, and more. Yes, social media helps, but it cannot replace the broad reach of network TV. With that in mind, here are the top 10 teams with the most national TV games for next season: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks have 34 games, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets get 28 games on national TV. Then, we have the Denver Nuggets with 26 games, the Boston Celtics with 25, the Cleveland Cavaliers with 24, and the Dallas Mavericks with 23.
National TV games for next season:
Thunder: 34
Warriors: 34
Lakers: 34
Knicks: 34
Timberwolves: 28
Rockets: 28
Nuggets: 26
Celtics: 25
Cavs: 24
Mavericks: 23 pic.twitter.com/bIUjOMrRl9— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 14, 2025
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Who Needs to Get More National TV Time?
For starters, Cunningham, Banchero, and Young need more time on the big screen. The league shouldn’t treat them as niche attractions for hardcore LeaguePass junkies.
Banchero won the Rookie of the Year award three seasons ago, and two seasons ago, he made his first All-Star appearance. He is one of the best under-25 American players, yet he has gotten only 14 nationally televised games this season.
Cunningham led the Pistons to the playoffs last season after a five-year drought. He averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and a steal per game. He finished seventh in MVP voting and made the All-NBA third team. This season, he will get 16 nationally televised games.
Young led the league in assists last season, averaging 11.6 per game. He earned a reputation as the biggest All-Star snub. Casual fans do not get a chance to see him a lot. This season, the Atlanta Hawks and Trae have 14 games on national TV.
Players in big cities like Boston and New York continue to get more national TV coverage at the expense of stars playing in smaller cities.
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