LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Miami coach Erik Spoelstra makes no effort to hide his excitement or appreciation when journalists from the Philippines join virtual news conferences to ask him questions during the NBA Finals.
In his mother's homeland, they are most definitely watching the playoffs.
Out of all the measured international markets, the Philippines has the largest average audience for live games during this season's playoffs — and Spoelstra isn't the only reason why. They're huge LeBron James fans there as well, as evidenced by where the clicks are coming from.
When James turned 35 this past December, the NBA did a video of the top 35 plays of his career.