Luka Dončić made a business decision in November 2018 that would take four years to resolve, somewhere between his first NBA preseason games at the American Airlines Center in Dallas and the adjustments that come with being nineteen years old in a foreign country. In writing, he granted his mother, Mirjam Poterbin, permission to register “LUKA DONCIC 7” as a trademark in the US. At the time, the reasoning was not irrational. Since he joined Real Madrid’s youth academy at the age of thirteen, she had been overseeing parts of his business life. The parent who remained closest to his career was her. For a teenager whose name was starting to gain value in a market she was more familiar with than he was, the trademark, which covered basketball clothing, equipment, and games, seemed like simple protection.
The arrangement was no longer effective by 2021. Dončić’s business aspirations had expanded significantly, and his new “77” logo, which featured his initials, his Mavericks number, and a Slovenian letter S silhouette, was going to be used in his business endeavors, charitable foundation, and Jordan Brand shoe and clothing line. His business, Luka99 Inc., applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office to register “LUKA DONCIC” and related marks, but the applications were initially denied. The reason was that they were too similar to his mother’s already-owned “LUKA DONCIC 7” trademark. He revoked the initial consent in writing in July 2021. She would not cede the rights.
In September 2022, she formally petitioned the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to have her trademark revoked. The two primary arguments put forth by Luka’s legal team were that Poterbin had essentially abandoned the mark by not using it in US commerce and that he was no longer associated with or sponsoring the goods and services covered by LUKA DONCIC 7. There was actual legal weight to that second argument. To remain valid, a trademark must be actively used in commerce or registered with a genuine intent to use, according to the USPTO. According to Dončić, his mother was not using it and had no intention of doing so. She filed a motion to dismiss the petition, arguing that she had legitimate written consent from her son. Neither side gave up right away.
It’s important to comprehend Poterbin’s public statements regarding her motivations. She insisted that she registered the trademark to shield her son from those who would try to profit from his name before he was capable of overseeing his own brand infrastructure, according to reports from Slovenian media. That’s not necessarily a cynical stance; in fact, parents and early managers of young athletes frequently take this stance, and it usually ends well. The size of what Dončić eventually became and the business machinery he had to construct around his own name made this one challenging. As his worth increased, the difference between “protection” and “control” grew.
The disagreement was amicably resolved. Dončić ended his cancellation petition on December 5, 2022. The mother and son had settled the dispute in private, according to the Sports Business Journal and the Dallas Morning News. No public statement outlining the terms was made. Observing how swiftly the story disappeared from the news cycle gave the impression that both sides were relieved to end the chapter. Shortly after, Poterbin was seen applauding from courtside once more. On Jordan Brand releases, the “77” logo proceeded without any apparent hindrance.
The entertainment and sports industries continue to learn the larger lesson the hard way. Young athletes who achieve elite status, like Dončić, who was playing for Real Madrid’s first team at the age of sixteen, frequently require assistance with legal and business matters before they are able to handle them on their own. When the athlete’s business world grows more quickly than anyone expected, those agreements, which were made swiftly and honestly, may solidify into structural issues. Dončić is by no means the first to realize that a jersey’s name does not always correspond to the wearer. When he needed to go retrieve it, he was just more noticeable than most.
