Luka Dončić will not only help the Los Angeles Lakers. He might be a boost for the NBA’s TV woes.
Decades from now we’ll remember where we were when the most shocking trade in NBA history went down. It was that monumental and unexpected. In the short and long term, it’s great for the Lakers because it gives the league’s most important franchise a superstar to help LeBron James and someone to build around when James is gone. In the short and long term, it’s great for the NBA, which badly needs someone and something to jumpstart interest.
Everyone’s got an opinion on the league’s sagging ratings: what’s wrong and how to fix it. It’s become such a talking point that commissioner Adam Silver is considering implementing drastic changes. Then something magical happened. The weekend before the Super Bowl, the Dončić trade became the hottest topic in sports. This seismic change will continue to reverberate throughout the rest of the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-n5PsY1RLc&ab_channel=ESPN
Dončić, one of the league’s most popular players, is scheduled for his introductory press conference Tuesday. From there, we’ll get more insight on when he’ll make his Lakers debut. He has been sidelined since Christmas with a calf injury. When Dončić plays, it will be must-see TV. ESPN’s Marc Spears has reported that Dončić could return Monday when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz. The timing would be OK since that’s the day after the Super Bowl. However, if you’re Silver, you probably would prefer to see him play in Thursday’s nationally televised matchup with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Sports interest is driven by stories. Narratives are how you get viewers to care about the players. You want love or hate, anything but indifference. The Kansas City Chiefs are gunning for an unprecedented three-peat, and millions will tune in to cheer for them or root against them. The NBA has an apathy problem. The local fans are heavily invested in their teams, but for casual sports fan, there haven’t been many reasons to get excited about the regular season. Blame load management. Blame the proliferation of three-point shots. Blame the 82-game schedule.
The bottom line is that there hasn’t been a regular-season story that everyone wants to check out. Luka Dončić might be able to provide that. Ever since his heroics in the Bubble, he has been on an upward trajectory. Last year, he powered the Dallas Mavericks to an unlikely NBA Finals appearance. He is fun to watch and has drawn the praise of former coach and TNT Sports analyst Stan Van Gundy.
“The best offensive player now that I have ever seen is Luka Dončić,” Van Gundy said on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. “I don’t think there’s anything the guy can’t do offensively. The guy is huge first of all, he’s 6-foot-8 and big. He shoots the ball from deep…He’s become a more consistent shooter from range. His range is incredible and he’s been very efficient shooting the ball.”
“I’m hearing he’s targeting next week, the Lakers play at home against Utah next Monday, and on the road in Utah next Wednesday, a potential return from his calf injury.”
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 3, 2025
–@MarcJSpears on Luka’s potential debut for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/jKFv9e6PUA
Dončić’s NBA career scoring average (28.6 points per game) is the third-highest in league history behind Michael Jordan (30.12) and Wilt Chamberlain (30.07). Does he immediately make the Lakers a championship contender? Perhaps not. On paper, the Lakers are worse defensively. James is 40 and Dončić has never been a reliable defender. Dončić does make the Lakers more interesting because it will be fascinating to see how James and Dončić work together.
This kind of storyline can translate into ratings and, of course, winning helps. The Lakers will figure this out on the fly with the camera rolling. That should be enough to draw more fans to their screens and lift ratings.
About Michael Grant
Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.