Settling a Legal Battle Recently with Son Luka Doncic and Walking Out on a Modeling Career, Who Is Mirjam Poterbin?

In 2018, Luka Doncic wanted to register ‘Luka Doncic 7’  as a trademark and he asked his mother to handle the affair. The application for registration received a green light in 2020, making his mother, Mirjam Poterbin, the owner of the trademark. A year later, Doncic wanted complete control of his name. In a statement, he said, “It’s important to me to control my own brand and focus on giving back to my communities.” However, Mirjam repeatedly refused to relinquish her ownership, leading to a legal dispute.

Furthermore, the United States Patent and Trademark Office canceled Doncic’s application to register his name as a trademark. They noted that since ‘Luka Doncic 7’ held the status of a trademark, no other similar trademark could be held valid. With Mirjam refusing to give up on control, the doors to a legal battle between Doncic and his mother opened.

As of December 2022, reports suggest that Doncic has withdrawn his petition against his mother. While not much is known about the situation of the trademark and brand right now, Doncic rocks Jordan brand shoes on the hardwood and uses a different logo for his signature shoes. Amid these battles, the question of who Mirjam was, came to light.

Mirjam Poterbin, the mother of Luka Doncic

Born in 1976, Mirjam Poterbin married Sasha Doncic and gave birth to Luka Doncic in 1999. However, the couple filed for a divorce when Doncic was just nine years old. Poterbin won the custody battle and the mother-son duo lived together. Having said that, years before Doncic’s birth, Mirjam navigated her way through the modeling industry in Slovenia.

Read More: Who Is Sasa Doncic? Father of Luka Doncic With an Unknown Legendary Basketball Career of His Own

She took part in the Miss Slovenia competition in 1993 and hosted shows like Wheel of Fortune. Despite her growing success in the modeling world, Mirjam focused on her child Luka after his birth. While trying to raise a son, she donned the hat of an entrepreneur and opened a beauty salon. Through Luka’s years of growth, she helped him manage his brand deals and company as well.

Mirjam Poterbin’s fear

On the Table Talk: Life of a Prospect podcast, Mirjam spoke about her son with a twinkle of pride in her eyes. She stated that the Dallas Mavericks superstar fell in love with basketball when he was barely a year old.

While talking about this love, Mirjam claimed that she was scared for her son when he decided to move to Spain at the age of 13. She said, “I was a little bit scared in the beginning.” 

Watch This Story – Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and other European players who came to the NBA and rose to stardom

Luka wanted to move to gain wider exposure to the game he loved. She encouraged him to rethink his decision but Luka replied with a tone of assertiveness. She said, “He looked me in my eyes and said, Mum, I want to try. So that was the moment I knew I had to let him go.” Ever since then, she has been a fierce supporter of her son.