All About Luka Doncic’s Parents, Mom Mirjam Poterbin and Dad Sasa Doncic

Luka Doncic’s parents, Mirjam Poterbin and Sasa Doncic, always knew that the Dallas Mavericks guard was destined for greatness.

“Since day one, [when] Luka started to walk he was crazy about basketball,” Mirjam said in a 2022 episode of Euroleague Basketball’s Table Talk. “Even when he had birthdays, for the present he always said, ‘I want to have a ball or sneakers.’ That’s it.”

The future NBA player was born to Mirjam and Sasa on Feb. 28, 1999, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. At the time, Sasa was a professional basketball player, so it wasn’t a surprise to the couple when their young son showed an early interest in the sport.

Though his parents divorced in 2008, they remained supportive of Luka’s ambitions. At age 13, the young basketball prodigy signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, and despite his mom’s initial hesitation to let the teenager leave their native Slovenia, Luka moved to Spain.

“I was a little scared in the beginning because first I said, ‘Maybe Luka, you can think about it,’ but he looked me in my eyes and said, ‘Mum, I want to try,’ ” Mirjam recalled. “So that was the moment I knew I had to let him go.”

Sasa also reflected on his son’s early departure and the effect it had on their relationship.

“From Madrid, he went to Dallas, so you don’t get to see your child every day or even every week,” Sasa told D Magazine in 2023. “So as a parent, you appreciate these moments even more. So any moment I can spend with him—literally everywhere I can—means the world to me.”

From traveling across the world to watch him play to doting over their granddaughter, here’s everything to know about Luka Doncic’s parents, Mirjam Poterbin and Sasa Doncic.

Mirjam was once a game show host

Before Mirjam became Luka’s mom, she spent some time in the spotlight back home in Slovenia. She started her career as a model and dancer before enjoying a stint as host of the Slovenian version of Wheel of Fortune.

Mirjam also competed for the title of Miss Slovenia in 1993. She later opened a beauty salon which allowed her a more flexible schedule when her son was born.

“I was lucky to have my own salon, that I could order clients only while Luka was in kindergarten or at school, but otherwise we spent all the time together,” Mirjam shared on the Zvezdana show in 2020.

Sasa was a professional basketball player

During his lengthy playing career, which lasted from 1993 to 2010, Sasa primarily played for clubs in Slovenia, though he did have brief stints in Serbia and France. Transitioning from a player to a coach in 2010, Sasa has continued to leave his mark on Slovenian basketball — in January 2024, Sasa was named director of sport of the Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS).

Luka is no stranger to the Slovenian national team, having represented his country since 2016. Sasa was on hand as his son took to the floor for Slovenia at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“Whenever I can see my child play live, it’s special,” he told D Magazine. “But it’s even more special to see him play in the city where he was born and when you see the whole arena cheering, paying tribute. It’s a special kind of acknowledgment and honor.”

Mirjam was Luka’s manager

When Luka joined Real Madrid at age 13, he naturally turned to his mother to manage his off-court business affairs.

Mirjam used her years of experience as the owner of a beauty salon in Slovenia to guide her decision-making. Their business relationship hit a rough patch in 2022 over a legal conflict involving the trademark “LUKA DONCIC 7,” which Mirjam owned.

Although Luka originally filed a petition to cancel the registration of the trademark, he and his mother quietly settled the dispute a few months later, per the Dallas Morning News.

Mirjam moved to be closer to her son

Luka was the third pick in the 2018 NBA draft — despite being picked by the Atlanta Hawks, he was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Mirjam moved to the United States to ensure that her son would have family nearby, though she admitted that getting settled was challenging at first.

“Maybe, for me, because I didn’t have friends,” she explained in a 2020 interview with WFAA. “When I came there, I was alone. I was living alone because I didn’t live with Luka.”

Her mother, Milena, often accompanied her to watch Luka’s games, and eventually, the whole family adjusted to their new home. It also wasn’t the first time Mirjam had moved to be closer to her son — she lived in Spain when Luka played for Real Madrid.

Sasa has a daughter

Sasa and his longtime partner, Nikolina Dragicevic, have a daughter named Tijana. Like her famous older brother and dad, she is an athlete in the making.

“She likes to tap the ball, runs, is hyperactive. She does gymnastics and goes to a music school. She is an athlete, but slowly. She will only be seven years old. Slowly,” the dad of two told Sportal in 2024.

Sasa and Tijana have both traveled to the U.S. to watch Luka play and were spotted courtside at a game in January 2023.

“It’s amazing, you know? Just for them to be here to watch me, support me; it’s been amazing for me,” Luka said in a post-game interview with ESPN.

They are grandparents

Luka and his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, announced the birth of their daughter Gabriela in a joint Instagram post on Dec. 1, 2023. The news came a few months after Luka proposed to his childhood sweetheart on July 7.

Sasa opened up to Sportal in 2024 about becoming a first-time grandfather.

“It’s great to have a granddaughter,” he shared. “It’s hard to describe these feelings … when she looks at you and happens to laugh, you think she recognizes you. And that’s a really great feeling.”

Mirjam also chimed in on Instagram, writing that she was “so proud” of her granddaughter.

Sasa helps Luka relax before games

Despite the distance between their homes in Slovenia and Dallas, Sasa and Luka have found a unique way to stay connected. The two play an online game of dominoes as a regular part of Luka’s pregame ritual.

“I have to admit Luka is better, but not by much,” Sasa told D Magazine. “No refs — that’s why it’s good we play online.”

The two are highly competitive and according to Sasa, Luka doesn’t take it easy on his dad.

“Be it dominoes, chess, tennis,” he said. “Not when we shoot free throws. I say, ‘Let me win, I haven’t played basketball in ages.’ But he won’t, because he hates losing and this is what makes him different … He’s a natural-born winner. He wants to win in everything.”