NBA star Luka Doncic's legal battle with his own mother

At just 23 years old, Luka Doncic is one of the biggest stars in basketball. And while the Dallas Mavericks' point guard’s performance on the court has brought him a lot of deserved attention, it’s an issue outside of the game that’s generated the most headlines for the Slovenian NBA star.

We’re talking of course about an ugly legal battle he embarked on against, of all people, his mother!

Credit Instagram @mirjampoterbin

While Doncic and his mother have tried to keep this issue under wraps, once matters find their way into the courts, it’s only a matter of time before the ugly details emerge. Let’s take a look at what we know about the family’s legal battle.

It all started back in September 2022, when Doncic filed a suit to dispute the rights of his trademark, Luka Doncic 7, which had been controlled by his mother Mirjam Poterbin.

Poterbin had been controlling his brand since 2018, when the rising star – then 19 – entrusted his mother to manage this side of his affairs.

Credit Instagram @mirjampoterbin

Since his meteoric rise to the top of the NBA, Doncic has had a change of heart and it was now time to take control of his brand.

It is believed he had been trying to regain control of the trademark since 2020 behind closed doors, according to basketnews.com, but Poterbin has refused to give up her stake in the matter.

The trademark is an especially lucrative side of Doncic’s business as it features on all his apparel and footwear.

After Doncic’s petition to cancel the trademark failed, he then applied to file another trademark under his name with the title “Luka Doncic 77.”, according to basketnews.com

Unfortunately, this was also denied with the courts deciding in favour of Poterbin due to the fact she has written consent from her son, authorizing the use of the trademark.

Conflicting trademarks currently prevent Doncic from gaining full control over his name, brand, and charitable foundation.

"I have a lot to look forward to as I continue to grow as a player and a person and it’s important to me to control my own brand and focus on giving back to my communities," Doncic said in a statement to The Stein Line in September

For her part, Poterbin – a former Miss Slovenia contestant and entrepreneur – maintains that her reluctance to hand over control of this brand came from a positive place with her son’s interests at heart.

Credit Instagram @mirjampoterbin

“Everything that is written comes from people who surrounded Luka in the last two years and want complete control over his life and career. I don’t want to wash dirty laundry in public, especially at a time when Luka needs to be collected and focused on the important matches ahead of him,” Poterbin said in a written statement on Slovenian television, according to as.com.

Credit Instagram @mirjampoterbin

“From the moment he was born, the only thing that mattered to me was that Luka was happy and that he was allowed to follow his dreams, which is normal for every mother,” she continued.

“Threats from people who want to take advantage of my son, including me by writing articles like this at the least convenient time for Luka, will not reach me alive. I will always stand behind protecting my son and I will never deviate from that,” her statement concluded. 

The good news, apparently for both parties, is that the legal stoush appears to finally be over with Doncic. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office official website, and as reported by The Dallas Morning News Doncic terminated the petition on December 5th.

It’s unclear whether this is an optimal outcome for Doncic or he simply had no other option given the compelling case for his mother's ownership, it looks as though the book is closed on this issue for the immediate future.