Lakers' Luka Doncic draws record viewership in emotional game against Mavericks: Report
On Wednesday, Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers had a 112-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. It was one of the highly-anticipated games of the 2024-25 NBA season as it was Doncic's return to Dallas for the first time since he was traded.
According to ESPN, the contest was the most-watched game this season, excluding the Christmas Day games. It generated 2.26 million viewers and peaked at 2.79 million.
Doncic's record-breaking game where he scored 45 points against Dallas generated a 71% increase. The game from the 2023-24 season generated 1.23 million viewers, according to Awful Announcing.
Given the narrative surrounding Doncic, the Lakers and the Mavericks, fans were locked in on their screens. It was the second time the Slovenian star played against his former team. His first game against Dallas (Feb. 25) also generated a significant amount of viewership.
According to Front Office Sports, the game at Crypto.com Arena had two million views on ESPN and 2.5 million on TNT, the most for the network.
The five-time All-Star got a hero's welcome in his return to Dallas. Even after the trade, the fans still hold a special place for Doncic. Before the game, a video tribute by the Mavericks was shown on the screen, which moved the Slovenian star to tears.
Luka Doncic enjoyed running into familiar faces. He shared moments with his former teammates, coaches and even with minority owner Mark Cuban.
NBA Insider said the win over the Mavericks was the moment when Luka Doncic became a Laker
The rest of the Lakers had Luka Doncic's back against the Mavericks. According to NBA analyst and ESPN reporter, Brian Windhorst, Wednesday's contest was the moment the five-time All-NBA player became a true Laker.
“It is counterintuitive, but this was the night when Doncic became a Laker,” Windhorst wrote. “His team totally was devoted to uplifting him and protecting him and rallying around him.”
According to Windhorst, Doncic felt the presence of his team following the victory. The media personality said the star player's connection with the Lakers is what changed.
When the 6-foot-6 guard told Lisa Walters it was time to move on, the analyst explained the European star felt his relationship with the L.A. organization.
“But it was potentially a foundational moment to build from, one that could be remembered as a crucial building block to bigger moments in the Lakers’ future.”
Luka Doncic's return to Dallas as a Lakers was bittersweet. However, he knows that it's time for both sides to move on.