Luka Doncic returned to American Airlines Center on Wednesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, the first time he played in his old stomping grounds since getting traded by the Dallas Mavericks earlier this season.
It was a game many NBA fans had marked on their calendar since the blockbuster trade went down. Although it wasn't the first time Doncic faced his former team, it was the first time he did so in Dallas. All eyes were on Doncic before, during and after his dominant 45-point performance, and it seems that a plethora of fans were tuning in from home, too.
The game was broadcast on ESPN and, according to ESPN PR, it was the most-viewed regular-season game on the network this season, excluding the NBA Christmas slate.
Luka Dončić's return to Dallas on Wednesday drew the largest non-Christmas #NBA audience on ESPN this season (2.26M avg. viewers) 🏀 pic.twitter.com/vedYlxKEPg
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 10, 2025
The game averaged 2.26 million viewers throughout and peaked at 2.79 million. That's an increase of 7% from comparable games during the 2023–24 campaign. It was also the most watched program of the day among various demographics, including people and males aged 18–34, 18–49, under 50 and males aged 25–54, per ESPN PR.
It was an emotional return for Doncic, who admitted after the game that he wasn't sure he'd be able to play after watching the Mavs' pregame tribute video for him. He ended up not only taking the court, but running riot against his former team, dropping 45 points and draining seven threes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic's Return to Dallas Was Most Watched Non-Christmas Game on ESPN This Season.
