Sources: Dončić signs new Jordan Brand deal
As he prepares to lead Slovenia into the FIBA World Cup, Dallas' star guard has secured a long-term extension with Michael Jordan's footwear line as one of its signature athletes
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić has signed a contract extension with Jordan Brand, according to industry sources.
The deal, sources say, will continue Dončić's run as a leading face for the shoe powerhouse through 2029.
The Slovenian has achieved All-Star and All-NBA status in each of the past four seasons with the Mavericks and became Jordan Brand's first European born-and-raised signature athlete in 2019.
Dončić-led Slovenia opens play in the FIBA World Cup on Saturday against Venezuela (7:30 AM ET on ESPN+). The 24-year-old was recently named Slovenia’s captain for the first time and leads a younger version of the team that stunningly emerged as EuroBasket champions in 2017 and finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics contested in 2021
In a recent World Cup warm-up game against Greece in his native Slovenia, Dončić debuted the Matador colorway of his second signature shoe. The Luka 2 Matador was inspired by his formative years at Spanish power Real Madrid, for whom Dončić debuted professionally as a 16-year-old and later won EuroLeague MVP honors at 19 before entering the 2018 NBA Draft. The Mavericks will play Real Madrid in Spain in an exhibition game on Oct. 10.
According to @LukaDonkicks — Blake Bostwick’s Dallas-area-based Twitter account that tracks that the various colorways Dončić sports in every game, how often he changes sneakers and how he fares statistically in each pair -- there were 52 unique variations of the Luka 1s.
The shoes are popular with various college teams. Nine Division I schools — including the men’s and women’s teams at Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C. — wore their own customized Luka 1s last season. And Paolo Banchero, who is playing in the World Cup for the United States this summer after a Rookie of the Year season with the Orlando Magic, earlier this month unveiled his own Luka 1 PE inspired by Banchero’s days playing at the Seattle Rotary Boys & Girls Club in his youth.
Dončić's second signature shoe has also been launched in a Luk.AI colorway to forge a direct connection to his September 2022 introduction of an AI virtual nemesis. Luk.AI was conceived not only as a digital rival for Dončić but also as a modern platform for fans to engage in unique competitive experiences alongside him.
The extended deal with Jordan Brand, negotiated by Dončić’s agent Bill Duffy and business manager Lara Beth Seager, calls for Dončić to maintain strong input on how his signature product is designed and marketed and, at Doncic’s insistence, now includes a direct link to the player’s Luka Dončić Foundation that assures further distribution of Jordan Brand gear to children in need.
Any estimated numbers on the deal?