Although Luka Doncic has millions of adoring fans—his Mom, Mirjam Poterbin, is undoubtedly his No. 1 supporter. This has been the case long before Doncic broke into the NBA and made the Dallas Mavericks perennial contenders in the Western Conference.
The former Rookie of the Year award winner has proven to be an even match for everyone he comes up against. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing basketball against the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, or even LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is clear that Doncic has a very bright future in basketball.
And while many quickly credit his father, Sasa Doncic, because of his accolades in the sport, Luka’s Mom deserves the credit. Sure, Sasa had a solid career playing professional basketball in various European Leagues, but he and Mirjam divorced when Luka was nine.
Luka’s mother had custody of him as a child, so it makes sense that she would have had a more profound impact on his development as a person and a player.
Mirjam Poterbin: Early Life And Background
Mirjam Poterbin was born in Slovenia on April 7th, 1974, to parents Milena and Anton Poterbin.
Luka Doncic’s mother was a former model and TV show host. Remember, this was before the days when you could fire up Instagram, post a few pictures, and become a star. So, for Poterbin to capitalize on her good looks, the pageant route was the only way.
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From there, she followed a rather logical progression by marrying a professional athlete and opening her beauty salon. Mirjam and Sasa were blessed with a baby boy, Luka Doncic, on February 28, 1999, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Is Mirjam Poterbin A Model?
Mirjam Poterbin started her career as a model and dancer. Later, she enjoyed a stint as host of the Slovenian version of Wheel of Fortune. In 1993, at the age of 19, she participated in the Miss Slovenia pageant.
She later opened a beauty salon to spend more time with her son, Luka. In 2020, Mirjam shared on the Zvezdana show, “I was lucky to have my own salon, that I could order clients only while Luka was in kindergarten or at school, but otherwise we spent all the time together.”
She had to take the pageant route back in the day but has since made herself an Instagram account with over 67,000 followers. Her Instagram account is unlike your typical IG models’ page. There are no real glamour shots or skimpy bikinis.
It is all relatively wholesome content. Most of it is pictures of Mirjam and Luka at various events. There are also some health and fitness-related posts and other images of her life as a 50-year-old mother.
What Is Mirjam Poterbin’s Influence On Luka Doncic’s Career?
Just because Doncic was a prodigy on the court doesn’t mean he had it all figured out on his own.
His Mom, who recognized his insane gift, quickly realized she had to ensure she kept the budding star humble, grounded, and disciplined. So much so that she often used basketball as leverage to get him to do his chores.
She could not keep the reigns on him long, though. His last name, pedigree, and talent quickly earned him national attention in his home country and Europe.
It may seem unbelievable to fans in the U.S., but at just 13, Luka signed a deal to play pro basketball in Spain. Yes, he was initially put into a youth academy, but not for long.
By the time Luka was 16, he had joined Real Madrid in the ACB, making him the third youngest person to play in the prestigious European league.
Mirjam’s efforts were already starting to pay off in a big way.
What Happened Between Luka Doncic And His Mom?
When Luka joined Real Madrid at 13, he went to his mother to manage his off-court business affairs. However, their business relationship hit a rocky road in 2022. The mother-son duo was involved in a legal conflict over the trademark, “Luka Doncic 7”, owned by Mirjam.
Luka filed another petition for a new trademark, “Luka Doncic 77.” However, he was again denied due to the close resemblance of his proposed trademark to his mother’s. In September 2022, the Dallas Mavericks guard again filed a petition to cancel the trademark but couldn’t get the judgment in his favor.
As things stand, Luka and his mother seem to have settled their dispute, as the NBA star withdrew his petition in December 2022.
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