LeBron James Tops NBA's 2025-26 Social and Digital Rankings

Lakers star leads the league in total views, while young talent like Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg rise in popularity

Apr. 13, 2026 at 4:11pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game or match, with the players' forms broken down into abstract shapes and colors, conveying the dynamic energy and shifting perspectives of the sport.The NBA's digital viewership rankings reflect the league's growing global appeal and the rising influence of young stars like Victor Wembanyama.Los Angeles Today

LeBron James has secured the top spot on the NBA's list of most-viewed players across social and digital channels for the 2025-26 regular season, generating 2.86 billion views. The high viewership coincided with a record-breaking year for the Los Angeles Lakers forward, who moved to the top of the all-time leaderboards for both total points scored and games played.

Why it matters

The surge in digital engagement follows a period of aggressive expansion for the NBA, which signed an 11-year, $77 billion media rights deal in 2025 to broaden its global audience. The league also saw peak viewership during the 2025 NBA Finals, indicating growing fan interest and the rising influence of digital platforms in the sport.

The details

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs rose to the number two position with 2.43 billion views, a significant increase from the previous season. Luka Dončić, now a teammate of LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers, finished third with 2.11 billion views. The complete top 10 most-viewed players for the 2025-26 season also includes Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Cooper Flagg, and Austin Reaves.

  • LeBron James secured the top spot on the NBA's list of most-viewed players for the 2025-26 regular season.
  • The NBA released the data on April 13, 2026.

The players

LeBron James

A 23-year NBA veteran and forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, who moved to the top of the all-time leaderboards for both total points scored and games played during the 2025-26 season.

Victor Wembanyama

A French center for the San Antonio Spurs, who rose to the number two position on the most-viewed players list with 2.43 billion views.

Luka Dončić

A guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, who finished third on the list with 2.11 billion views after being traded to the Lakers in 2025.

Stephen Curry

A guard for the Golden State Warriors, who finished fourth on the list with 1.87 billion views, down from the previous season.

Cooper Flagg

A player for the Dallas Mavericks, who made the top 10 list, highlighting the league's evolving digital draw.

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The takeaway

The NBA's growing digital viewership and the rise of young talent like Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg suggest the league is successfully expanding its global reach and appealing to a new generation of fans through its digital platforms.