NBA fans witnessed the seemingly unthinkable when Luka Doncic suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
A week after a stunning blockbuster trade, Doncic made his Lakers debut on Monday night. In his first game since sustaining a calf injury on Christmas, the 25-year-old scored 14 points in a 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz.
ESPN made sure to televise the moment. The network picked up Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers just in case Doncic returned and adjusted its programming again on Monday. A late start time didn’t hinder its audience too much.
On Wednesday, ESPN announced that 2.01 million average viewers watched Doncic’s Lakers debut. The game peaked at 2.55 million viewers.
According to Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis, it was the NBA’s most-watched game exclusively on cable since Klay Thompson returned to Golden State to face the Warriors alongside Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12. Three other cable games have scored higher ratings this season, led by 3.01 million viewers watching the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics on TNT to start the 2024-25 season.
ESPN received criticism for how it handled Monday night’s programming schedule. The network cut away from a men’s college basketball game between Houston and Baylor during the second half.
It was the right call from a ratings standpoint. According to Lewis, that contest averaged 758,000 viewers before getting bumped to ESPNU.
Doncic only played 24 minutes in a blowout win, but it was still a major moment fans wanted to watch. Even Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki attended the game at Crypto.com Arena to support his former teammate.
Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Doncic admitted to feeling some pre-game jitters before his Hollywood spotlight. He settled down once he took the court with LeBron James and Co.
“I was a little bit nervous before,” Doncic said. “I don’t remember the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. And just being out there again felt amazing.”
The Lakers’ next three games aren’t nationally televised, but ABC could draw big ratings when Doncic’s Lakers face Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Related: ESPN Ripped For Pathetic Coverage Of College Hoops Game Monday