Say what you want about LeBron James, people tune in to watch him to do his thing the same way they did for Michael Jordan.

Jordan’s numbers during the Finals actually are higher, but that is due in part to the TV landscape being much different in the 90s. Fewer choices back then. Also, Michael was Michael.

But you can be sure ABC and NBA is very happy to have LeBron playing 7-game series in 2013. The guy puts on quite a show.

Also in the comparison department, James at 28 now has the same amount of NBA titles Jordan had at 28. He has a long way to go before his final legacy is written.

Here are the overnight ratings from last night:

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NBA Finals Game 7 on ABC – the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in a thriller to repeat as NBA Champions – delivered a 17.7 overnight rating, according to Nielsen. This is the second highest-rated NBA game in ABC history. The telecast peaked at a 22.6 from 11:30 p.m. – 11:45 p.m. ET.

Game 7 is also expected to mark the 37th consecutive time an NBA Finals telecast has won the night for all of television and is the 25th straight time it has delivered double-digit overnight ratings.

The game generated a 44.2 metered market rating in Miami, making it the highest-rated NBA game ever in the market. Additionally, Game 7 scored big in San Antonio with a 46.4.

The 2013 NBA Finals averaged a 12.4 metered market rating, up five percent from an 11.8 for the 2012 NBA Finals.

In addition, the Kia NBA Countdown pre-game show scored a strong 5.4 overnight rating.