Luka Dončić’s Dallas Homecoming Could Deliver NBA Ratings High

There are only five days left in the NBA’s regular season, but perhaps its most anticipated game is set for Wednesday night.

Luka Dončić will return to Dallas for the first time since the Mavericks traded him to the Lakers on Feb. 1 in one of the most shocking trades in history. The game will air on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET and is expected to be one of the most-watched non-Christmas Day games of this season.

The two teams faced off Feb. 25, though the game was in Los Angeles and the Mavericks did not have Anthony Davis, the key piece they received in return for Dončić, who was out with a calf injury. Davis is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game.

That February showdown still drew 2.5 million viewers on TNT, the most-watched game of the season that aired exclusively on cable. Dončić’s debut with the Lakers against the Jazz on Feb. 10 drew 2.01 million viewers on ESPN, which is also one of the year’s most-watched games on cable.

NBA viewership numbers for the season are down 2% compared to last year, a vast improvement over the double-digit declines from the first two months of the year. But as fans continue to cut the cord, cable-exclusive games are driving the ratings decline.

Games on all ESPN platforms—including ABC—are averaging 1.72 million viewers, which is even with last year. But ESPN-exclusive games average 1.31 million, down 8%, according to Nielsen. TNT games were down 11% as of late February.

Dallas Acknowledges Dončić

Most Mavericks fans have been outraged with the franchise since the trade. Fans have held protests outside the American Airlines Center, and some have even been ejected from the arena for criticizing general manager Nico Harrison.

The Mavericks are acknowledging the 26-year-old’s contributions to Dallas—which includes making the NBA Finals last season—during his return. The Mavericks are giving away T-shirts to every fan that read, “Hvala za vse” (“Thanks for everything”) in Slovenian.

The team is also prepared to air a tribute video for Dončić, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania. Protests outside the arena are expected to be significant.