2015 NBA Finals Average Highest TV Ratings in Post-Michael Jordan Era

The Golden State Warriors aren't the only ones celebrating a successful NBA Finals. TV executives now get to enjoy their own victory after the ratings for the series were announced.

ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Wednesday that this year's six-game NBA Finals series between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 19.94 million viewers—the most since Michael Jordan won his sixth championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1998.

The high ratings this year were due in no small part to the storyline of LeBron James carrying his Cavs team despite injuries to key players Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The following numbers from SportsCenter and ESPN Stats & Info summarize the extraordinary stats James put up against Golden State in the championship series:

On the other side of the clash, the Warriors capped off their outstanding season—a league-leading 67 wins in the regular season—with the franchise's first championship since 1975.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg had some spot-on analysis to describe Golden State's triumph:

The Warriors ran away with the No. 1 seed in the superior Western Conference by 11 games in the regular season and made the proper adjustments in the playoffs to deservedly claim the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Stephen Curry garnered NBA MVP honors and helped Golden State to close out the Finals with three straight victories.

Retired Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson proclaimed the Warriors' title run will reshape the game of basketball:

In addition to the inevitable draw and polarization James' presence in the Finals created, Golden State represented fresh faces to challenge for the NBA's ultimate prize. No one on its roster had Finals experience, but first-year head coach Steve Kerr was actually a member of the last Jordan-led Bulls team to win the title.

An exciting perimeter-oriented game spearheaded by Curry made Golden State must-see TV. Finals MVP Andre Iguodala emerged as a dynamic two-way force who set the defensive tone and stymied the Cavs on the perimeter, forcing James to bear an overwhelming burden in a bid to will Cleveland to an upset.

With so much competition in the Western Conference, the Warriors have their work cut out for them if they are to return to the Finals stage next season.

If James has a healthy Irving and Love by his side next year and Golden State emulates its runaway success from the 2014-15 campaign, though, a rematch is a real possibility. The ratings for such a Finals showdown would most likely top even this year's staggering viewership numbers.