Los Angeles Lakers fans are still rejoicing after the team made one of the biggest trades in recent history to acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic was seen as a cornerstone of the Mavericks franchise, a player that many believed would stick around in Dallas for the long haul.
However, the Mavericks didn’t see it that way, which has already started working out well for the Lakers.
Doncic is still trying to find his footing and timing with this team, especially when playing alongside LeBron James, but the initial broadcast numbers indicate that he’s going to be impactful for this team in numerous ways.
As ESPN PR recently highlighted on X, Doncic’s debut saw 2.55 million people watching the Lakers game at its peak, which is up 42% from last year’s average.
Luka Dončić’s @Lakers debut against the @utahjazz on Monday averaged 2.01M viewers pic.twitter.com/rioiHzzBhH
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 12, 2025
ESPN PR also mentioned that it was the top program for several demographics that day, including males from 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54.
Doncic represents more than another superstar player joining James on the court, he’s another asset for the Lakers to market and bring fans into their arena.
The Lakers currently have the fifth-best record in the Western Conference, and assuming Doncic and James start figuring it out, their standing will likely increase over the coming weeks.
They’ll have the All-Star Break to get more practice in and gain chemistry, which should result in great things for the organization.
Doncic didn’t expect to be a Laker, at least this soon in his career, but when looking at these numbers and the potential that he has with the team, there can’t be much to be unhappy about.
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