"The league loves this s**t" - $50,000,000 ex-NBA star's daughter Mariah Rose hails Luka Doncic-Lakers trade as genius move for NBA ratings boost

People still haven't moved on from the Luka Doncic trade that sent the star to the LA Lakers. From experts to players and fans, everyone has talked about what happened ahead of the deadline. On Tuesday, an episode of the podcast "Hoops For Hotties" was released where host Mariah Rose talked about one of the biggest trades in the NBA.

The host revealed that the basketball video game NBA 2k doesn't allow the trade to happen. Mariah, the daughter of ex-NBA player Jalen Rose ($50 million, Celebrity Net Worth), speculated that the league permitted this agreement to solve its audience issues.

Views for the association have decreased during the last few seasons. The league hasn't seen an uptick in views despite the success of major market clubs.

"Because it's good for ratings," Rose said. "Do you know how good this is for the league and me as a fan of the league? It's piquing the interest in the NBA again. Everybody has their eyes on what's going on in basketball. This was the exact push the NBA needed."

Rose listed some of the major market clubs that haven't been able to boost views. Despite having Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, she said the New York Knicks aren't "moving the needle" in terms of viewership.

Even the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. The host went as far as to call the team "boring," which led her to expound on the Doncic deal.

"You've got LeBron, who is the man in LA. And who's going to be his successor? Boom. International superstar, Luka Doncic. The league loves this s**t."

Having the Slovenian star playing for the Lakers has helped attract more attention. On Monday, he played his first game, followed by his second game on Wednesday. ESPN revealed there was a 42% increase with an average of 2.01 million viewers. Doncic's games have become the second-most watched on the network for the 2024-25 season.

How has Luka Doncic played in his first two games?

Luka Doncic has played his first two games with the Lakers, both against the Utah Jazz. With him, the team has gone 1-1 during that span. However, he hasn't found his rhythm yet and has struggled to make a significant impact.

In his first two games, Doncic is averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 26.7% shooting from deep. It's also worth taking note that the five-time All-Star has been limited to 23 minutes in both games.

The 6-foot-6 guard is attempting to get used to his new teammates while recovering from a calf issue. Doncic may prepare for the second half of the season during the All-Star break.