Michael Jordan has always had a knack for crafting compelling business moves. One of those areas is, evidently, the sneaker world. It began in the 80s, when Jordan helped Nike mint money through his rebellious persona, and now goes on through Luka Doncic by launching one-of-a-kind campaigns for the Slovenian superstar.
Last year, Luka and MJ grabbed attention by inviting fans to a floating basketball court. Now, as the Dallas Mavericks host Game 3 against the Los Angeles Clippers, it seems like the two have outdone themselves.
Doncic pulled up in his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, custom-wrapped in the colorway inspired by his Midnight Racer edition of the Luka 3 sneaker with the Jordan brand. He was dressed in a black and white suit, as the purple and pink-tinted Camaro flaunted “AIR” and “77” on its number plate.
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The stunt comes from Michael Jordan’s iconic image of arriving in a black Ferrari and Luka’s love for sports cars.
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For as much as the fans are yearning to grab their own pair of Luka 3s, Jordan and Luka plan to play the wait game, just like Doncic’s patient strides on the court. Tonight, Luka will only be debuting his sneakers, and hope to ignite their glory with a high scoring game.
The first few pieces of Luka 3’s Midnight Drive colorway will initially be up for sale in Europe on July 5, with a global launch set for July 16 as per Nike. Moreover, Luka’s admirers are in for 4 separate rendition of the sneakers. A Photo Finish and Blurred Vision version will launch the same month, as Fundamental and Motorsport finishes will extend the launching till early September.
Fans hope for a huge night by Luka Doncic
Fans couldn’t contain their excitement and quickly anticipated a long night for the LA squad in light of Luka’s attention-grabbing entry. One fan hinted that Luka is locked in to take the game home, citing that he will be “dropping 40” points tonight.
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In the earlier two games of the first round series, Doncic dropped 33 and 32 points respectively. With that, and as he seems more at ease due to the home game, other admirers predict a more efficient outing. One fan suggested “mf dropping 50” while another commented, “He’s going for 60 PRA.”
“That’s how you show up when you about to drop 40 15 10,” another Luka Doncic supporter chimed in with a post-game stat line prediction.
As fans found ways to display their elation for Doncic’s marketing move, some claimed that they saw Luka Magic stuck in traffic earlier. Regardless, with nothing but positivity around their superstar, one enthusiastic follower summarized by commenting, “Luka dropping 60 plus after this.”
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Just like Jordan, Luka’s super-car antic comes in a Game 3 of the playoffs. Jordan’s black Ferrari move came during the Chicago Bulls’ 1997 series with the Washington Bullets. Not only did MJ intimidate the Bullets’ roster that night, he dropped 55 points and gave the Bulls a 3-0 edge in the series.
Update: While Luka scored 22 points on a tough 7/25 shooting night, the Dallas Mavericks climb up 2-1 in the ongoing series. They will now hoist the Clippers again before gunning for a road win.