ESPN garnered massive ratings when Luka Doncic made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, even though the late-night game aired from the West Coast at Crypto.com Arena at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Luka Doncic Lakers Debut Peaked At 2.55 Million Viewers, A 42% Increase Over Last Year’s Average NBA Game On ESPN
In the Lakers’ 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night, the network’s audience reportedly peaked at 2.55 million viewers. That means it was up 42% compared to last year’s average NBA game on ESPN.
According to Nielsen, the game averaged 2.01 million viewers and was the most-watched contest of the day among the coveted demographics of males 18 to 34, 18 to 49, and 25 to 54 years old.
Although Doncic scored just 14 points and played only 24 minutes, sports fans were more interested in watching the five-time All-NBA member than anything else on television.
Luka Dončić’s @Lakers debut against the @utahjazz on Monday averaged 2.01M viewers pic.twitter.com/rioiHzzBhH
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 12, 2025
Los Angeles led by 12 points after the first quarter and 25 at halftime. The Lakers led by as many as 34 points, and Doncic sat out the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic, 25, was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a shocking blockbuster trade earlier this month. The Lakers, Mavericks, and Jazz completed a three-team trade that sent Doncic to Los Angeles and Anthony Davis to Dallas.
The Lakers received Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris from the Mavs; Dallas acquired Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick; and the Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Mavs’ 2025 second-rounder.
Doncic’s Lakers Debut Jersey Could Sell For $1 Million
Monday night marked Doncic’s first game played with the Lakers since suffering a left calf strain on Christmas Day with Dallas. He finished with 16 points in 23 minutes in Wednesday night’s 131-119 loss at Utah.
LeBron James had 18 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 6-of-13 (46.2%) from the field and 4-of-8 (50%) from 3-point range. James, who is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, recently became the first player to reach 40,000 career points.
“They’re two of the best thinkers, problem solvers that we’ve ever seen,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I don’t see any world where those two playing together isn’t a good thing. Like I said, their processing speed, mentally, is incredible. And so, I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”
Doncic’s Lakers debut jersey is currently one of the most sought-after sports memorabilia items. David Kohler, founder of SCP Auctions, told TMZ Sports on Tuesday that Doncic’s jersey from Monday night’s game could fetch between “$500,000 to $1 million” at auction.
The Lakers are next scheduled to play on national television on Feb. 22 against the Denver Nuggets, which will air on ABC. Doncic is then slated to make his first return visit to Dallas three days later.
