Shaquille O'Neal notched up 24 points and 11 rebounds on his return for the first time to Los Angeles since his trade, leading the Miami Heat to clinch a 104-102 overtime victory on Christmas day over the Lakers on Saturday (Dec 25th). (Photo: Xinhua/AFP)

The much-awaited Shaq vs. Kobe as a Christmas present did not let fans down. Shaq's victory of the game, Kobe's 42 points season-high all contribute to the highest rating in six years for a regular-season NBA game.

The overnight rating for the Miami Heat's 104-102 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on ABC on Christmas Day was 8.0. That was the highest since Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls vs. the Lakers on NBC in February 1998.

Heat vs. Lakers game signified the first game since Shaquille O'Neal's being traded to the Heat last summer. It was also featured by the love and hate between Shaq and Kobe, teammates for eight chaotic seasons with the Lakers.

They won three championships and reached the NBA Finals a fourth time during their last five years together.

Three days after the Lakers were beaten by the Detroit Pistons in the Finals last June, O'Neal demanded a trade. While Bryant signed a seven-year, $136.4 million contract to stay with Lakers.

O'Neal had 24 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 2:15 left in regulation. Bryant had a season-high 42 points.

Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets, covering about 70 percent of the United States. The rating is the percentage of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use.

Editor: Wing