Getty Clare Crawley and LeBron James
Season 16 of The Bachelorette is set to premiere on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ET, but the NBA almost threw a wrench in those plans. There was a chance a Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat would have been played that same Tuesday night on ABC.
That would leave no room for the two-hour premiere of The Bachelorette. The realization that the premiere of the show was in jeopardy caused a bit of a freakout among Bachelor Nation.
According to Parade.com, the television debut of Clare Crawley’s search for love would have been pushed to Oct. 20 instead. Fortunately, a Lakers win on Sunday night kept the Bachelorette premiere on as regularly scheduled.
The Lakers Won the NBA Finals in the Nick of Time
GettyJimmy Butler and LeBron James during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
For those not following professional basketball, the NBA Finals determine a champion with a best-of-seven series. While the Lakers won three of the first four games, they were unable to finish things in Game 5 on Friday and narrowly lost to the Heat, 111-108.
That forced a Game 6 which was played Sunday. If the Heat managed to win that game, a Game 7 would’ve forced a schedule change and an Oct. 20 premiere of The Bachelorette. But because the Lakers won, the NBA season ended just in time to make way for The Bachelorette.
Bachelor Nation Was Praying for a Lakers Win
It’s been a long wait for the return of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. For diehard fans, another week of waiting sounded like too much to bear.
In the words of podcast host, Kelly Keegs, “I refuse to let sports ruin the only thing I wanted to come back!” (Warning: NSFW language)
I have a HUGE issue with this sports news I just learned. Yes I just woke up, yes I’m a little hungover and haggard, doesn’t make me any less angry @KingJames
Even the Bachelorette herself, Clare Crawley, was pleading for the Lakers to win. She posted a video on her Instagram story begging the team “can you please win tonight? Thanks.”
The Lakers did it, Clare. Now the stage is all yours.
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