The Los Angeles Lakers schedule for the 2022-23 season has officially been released and there is a lot to take away from the team’s games. While we already knew that the Lakers would play all 29 other teams, there are still intricacies of building an NBA schedule.
One of those intricacies is primetime games. The NBA wants to be fair and just and make sure each fanbase gets a chance to watch its team on the big stage but it is not a secret that the bigger market teams get heavily favored in the primetime schedule.
The Lakers play in the second-largest market in the country and have the face of the NBA on the roster, so they are always bound to get a big number of primetime games — some of which are definitely appointment viewing.
How many primetime games do the Los Angeles Lakers have this season?
The Los Angeles Lakers have 39 primetime games in the 2022-23 season. Despite struggling last season, the purple and gold still play nearly half of their games in front of a primetime audience. These primetime games are split between four different outlets: NBATV, TNT, ESPN and ABC.
Of the 39 primetime games, the Lakers play 12 on NBATV, 11 on TNT, 12 on ESPN and 5 on ABC (Christmas Day’s ABC game will also be shown on ESPN).
Every Lakers game on NBATV this season:
October 30 vs. Denver Nuggets, November 30 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, December 19 at Phoenix Suns, December 28 at Miami Heat, December 30 at Atlanta Hawks, January 15 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, January 16 vs. Houston Rockets, January 30 at Brooklyn Nets, March 10 vs. Toronto Raptors, March 17 vs. Dallas Mavericks, March 31 at Minnesota Timberwolves, April 7 vs. Phoenix Suns.
Every Lakers game on TNT this season:
October 18 at Golden State Warriors, October 20 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, November 22 at Phoenix Suns, December 6 at Cleveland Cavaliers, December 13 vs. Boston Celtics, January 12 vs. Dallas Mavericks, January 24 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, January 31 at New York Knicks, February 9 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, February 23 vs. Golden State Warriors, March 7 vs. Memphis Grizzlies.
Every Lakers game on ESPN this season:
October 26 at Denver Nuggets, November 9 at Los Angeles Clippers, December 2 at Milwaukee Bucks, December 9 at Philadelphia 76ers, December 16 vs. Denver Nuggets, December 25 at Dallas Mavericks (simulcast on ABC), January 4 vs. Miami Heat, January 20 vs. Memphis Grizzlies, February 15 vs. New Orleans Pelicans, March 12 vs. New York Knicks, March 22 vs. Phoenix Suns, April 5 at Los Angeles Clippers.
Every Lakers game on ABC this season:
December 25 at Dallas Mavericks (simulcast on ESPN), January 28 at Boston Celtics, February 11 at Golden State Warriors, February 26 at Dallas Mavericks, March 5 vs. Golden State Warriors.
Most of the primetime opponents that the Los Angeles Lakers play during the 2022-23 season are the same as it is clear what matchups the NBA wants to broadcast to a national audience. That being said, there are still some exceptions that are getting the limelight since they play the Lakers.
The Blazers, Rockets, Cavaliers and Pelicans are four small-market teams that are getting these respective primetime games simply for playing the Lakers.