Taking Michael Jordan’s $50 Precedent Seriously, Jordan Brand Athlete Luka Doncic Publicly Demands Money From Youngsters

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have arrived in Abu Dhabi to kick-start the year with the pre-season games. Doncic, a $75,000,000 Jordan brand athlete, challenged his younger teammates to pay up for the bets they lost during the pre-season practice. This is very much akin to how Michael Jordan used to wager $50 bets against Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant during the ’80s decade. Doncic cheekily asked his teammates to pay their dues as he reposted a clip of his half-court shot on his Instagram story.

Luka Doncic has been signed with the Jordan brand since his early NBA days in 2019. This deal was for five years and was reportedly worth around $75,000,000. Doncic reportedly signed a recent extension with the brand, extending his contract till 2029. However, there are no details on this contract extension’s total worth. Perhaps this collaboration has allowed Luka to rub some of MJ’s edge in his own persona and style of play as well.

Luka Doncic asked his younger teammates to pay their bets on his Instagram story

Luka Doncic and the Mavs team are currently in Abu Dhabi, practicing for the upcoming pre-season NBA games. In one of his recent IG stories, Doncic gave his fans a sneak peek into the Mavs’ practice sessions for the upcoming games.  This upcoming season, Doncic is looking to lead his team to the Playoffs after failing to do so last season. The Slovenian shared a clip of himself hitting a half-court shot but with a cheeky message for his young teammates.

 

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In the caption of the story, Luka wrote, “Pay up please!” tagging Dereck Lively, Jaden Hardy, and Jordan Walker. Have a look at Luka Doncic’s story right here in the X post embedded below.

Luka making youngsters pay up lost bets pic.twitter.com/abmYbEfTD6

— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) October 3, 2023

This incident might remind many of Michael Jordan challenging his two ‘pigeons,’ Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen, to bet $50 per shot made during practice. At that moment, Michael Jordan was leading the scoreboard ahead of everyone on the Bulls roster. Hence, it’s obvious who would have won. However, Horace Grant later agreed that this practice made him a better shooter.

Luka Doncic is related to Michael Jordan in way more ways than replicating his iconic bets. He is the first European to earn his very own signature shoe deal with the Jordan brand and the sixth player in the NBA to do so. The others include Chris Paul, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, Carmelo Anthony, and Russell Westbrook.

The Mavs team are having a fun time at practice

From the recent clips that have surfaced on the internet, the Dallas Mavericks seem to be utilizing their training camp to the fullest extent. The players seem to be quite lively and excited to start the new season with much vigor and zest.

Recent clips show the incredible chemistry between Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively, with Doncic providing a cheeky assist in practice to Lively to perform a flashy alley-oop. Furthermore, Kyrie Irving, who is one of the best ball handlers in the league, was beyond impressed seeing Luka Doncic’s dribbling skills during practice.