Luka Doncic’s Mother Mirjam Throws Light on Mavs Star’s Childhood Trauma During her Gruelling Divorce (2020)

When Luka Doncic was only 9, his parents, Sasa Doncic and Mirjam Poterbin got divorced, causing him to grow up in an unusual setting. Like any kid in the situation, it was a traumatic experience. However, it was basketball and the undying love of his mother and grandma that helped Luka cope. After all these years, Luka’s grandma and great-grandma, who’s 87, still fly out from their hometown to watch the Mavs lead-scorer. Well, Doncic has inspired the older generation to take up basketball too, along with the youngsters!

For this story, we roll back to the times before Luka was drafted into the NBA. Mirjam sat down for an exclusive with WFAA in 2020, where she spoke about their personal life and Luka’s childhood. Revealing what got Luka through his parent’s divorce, his mother said, “Maybe basketball. Because it was hard for him.” Developing a love for ball at a very early age, Luka found solace in focusing all his energy there when things were not going well at home. “Maybe this is also the reason he’s so good in basketball,” Mirjam added.

More importantly, his parents, even after their divorce, never let their differences get in the way of Luka’s dreams. After initially hesitating at Luka’s decision to go pro, Mirjam let him leave home at the age of 13 and live alone to play for Real Madrid. “It was crazy hard… I was crying.  It was really, really hard,” she said, recalling living away from her teenage son at first.

But these experiences were crucial in turning Luka into the player he is today as they helped him gain a level of maturity that he might not have attained in the comfort of his own home. “He was always really mature, even when he was a kid. He was great. Just when you left home so early, 13 years old. You have to become mature. There’s no other way to survive,” Luka’s mother admitted. She also revealed that her son initially lived alone as a teenager when he moved out, and Mirjam was only able to join him 3 years later.

Reaction Info: Your reaction to Luka Doncic reaching his first NBA Finals!

Around that same time, he won Real Madrid’s 10th Euro Cup. He was named the MVP that season and was a Final Four member of the best five in the competition. He ended up winning the league and ACB MVP too, historically winning 3 MVPs in the same season! The youngest debutant of Real Madrid spent 6 successful years in Spain and then flew to the US after being picked up No. 3!

Mirjam predicted Luka’s long-term success in 2020!

In just six years, Luka has become the heart and soul of the Mavs franchise. Leading them to their first finals in 13 years, it looks like Luka might become what Dirk Nowitzki was for the city of Dallas. But for that, he will have to wear the Mavs uniform for life just like Dirk did throughout his 21-one-year career! However, that idea might not be as far-fetched as his mother predicted long before Luka even became a global superstar. “Honestly, pretty sure it’s gonna be long term.”

Revealing how well Mark Cuban and the crew have treated Luka from the beginning of his career and the way they do even now, Mirjam claimed that her son feels content in his current situation. “He feels great there, so he wants to stay for sure,” she revealed. With Luka’s parents living in Dallas and constantly coming to his games, they have also developed a liking for the franchise.

“From my perspective, I want him to be happy. That’s number one. And I know his happiness is connected to the basketball. So, of course, we want him to continue and to grow as much as he can,” Mirjam concluded. Luka also recently became a parent himself, which gives him more of a reason to stay put and not disrupt the great situation he has going on. Growing up in a tough situation all his life with his parent’s divorce and living alone as a teenager, Luka would cherish having a wonderful life in Dallas even more.

That could be great news for the Mavs fans and the franchise, as they came so close to winning their 2nd title.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.