Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and his mother, Mirjam Poterbin, have been embroiled in a messy legal battle for months.
At the core of the dispute was the “LUKA DONCIC 7” trademark, which was controlled by his mother and she had refused to hand off to him.
Doncic claimed back in early September that he had been involved in a “months-long quest to regain full control of trademarks that bear his name,” but that his mother wouldn’t permit him to do so. The old brand’s trademark, according to Doncic, ensured that he couldn’t get a proper trademark for his new brand.
Hence the legal battle.
This week, roughly three months later, it appears as though a resolution was reached.
“Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has ended the fight with his mother over her rights to a trademark bearing his name, according to a Thursday filing by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board,” law360.com reported.
While details regarding the settlement and what precisely it entails remain scarce, this is clearly a step in the right direction for all involved. It ensures that an ugly battle ends and permits Doncic to return his focus onto what matters most: winning an NBA championship with the Mavs this season.
As strange as it is to see a legal war of this nature waged, it isn’t an isolated incident in the NBA. Vanessa Bryant, the widow of Kobe Bryant, was involved in something very similar with her mother. Only there is a fair case to be made that Vanessa’s situation was messier, given the allegations that were made.
In any event, the fact that both she and Doncic were able to eventually resolve their legal woes with their mothers signals that, no matter how strange the circumstances, resolution is always on the table.
The Mavericks are currently 13-13 and find themselves 10th in the Western Conference.
Dame liked what he saw. https://t.co/ALU8kOQmWN
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 11, 2022
Will they be able to play better than that now that this dark cloud is no longer hovering over their heads?
Is a return to the Western Conference Finals now a likelier possibility?
An answer to all those questions should emerge over the next few months.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
