Who are Luka Doncic's parents and siblings? A look at his upbringing
Luka Dončić's parents, Sasa Doncic and Mirjam Poterbin, played a key role in his basketball career. Their support and sacrifices helped him rise to success, leading to his being named an NBA All-Star and to the All-NBA First Team for five consecutive seasons since 2020. Luka also has a half-sister named Tijana.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Luka followed in his father's footsteps, playing basketball.
- Luka Dončić's parents divorced in 2008, but he continued enjoying their love and support.
- Luka was born on 28 February 1999 as the only child of Sasa Doncic and Mirjam Porterbin.
- Luka has a younger half-sister, Tijana, from his father's side, with his longtime partner Nikolina Dragicevic.
- His father, Sasa, is a former basketball player, coach and the director of sport for the Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS).
Profile summary
Profile | Luka Dončić's father | Luka Dončić's mother |
Full name | Sasa Doncic | Mirjam Poterbin |
Gender | Male | Female |
Date of birth | 14 June 1974 | 1974 |
Age | 50 years old (as of April 2025) | 50 years old (as of 2025) |
Zodiac sign | Gemini | — |
Place of birth | Sempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia | Slovenia |
Current residence | Slovenia | Dallas, Texas |
Nationality | Slovenian | Slovenian |
Ethnicity | Serbian | White |
Religion | Christianity | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight | Straight |
Height in feet | 6'7" | — |
Height in centimetres | 201 | — |
Weight in pounds | 234 | — |
Weight in kilograms | 106 | — |
Hair colour | Brown | Brown |
Eye colour | Brown | Brown |
Father | — | Anton |
Mother | — | Milena Poterbin |
Relationship status | Dating | Single |
Partner | Nikolina Dragicevic | — |
Children | 2 | 1 |
Profession | Former basketball player, coach | Entrepreneur, former model, dancer |
— |
Meet Luka Dončić's parents
Luka Dončić's mom is Mirjam Poterbin, and his father is Sasa Doncic. His parents divorced in 2008. But it didn't stop them from supporting him. They have been the pillars of support in his personal and career life. His dad is of Serbian descent from Kosovo.
Sasa and Mirjam have a granddaughter. Luka shares a daughter, Gabriela, with his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes. The granddaughter was born on 1 December 2023.
Luka's parents were excited about becoming grandparents. Sasa shared his feelings about having a grandchild during an interview with Sportal in 2024. He stated:
I was shocked, but in a positive way. At first I didn't even realize what they were telling me. After a few days I realized that it would be a great privilege to be a grandfather. I was very happy.
Luka's mom was proud of becoming a grandmother. She posted baby's photo on her Instagram page with a caption:
So Proud[love emoji]. My granddaughter Gabriela[love emoji].
Here is a detailed look at Luka Dončić's parents:
Sasa Doncic
Source: Getty Images
Luka's dad was born on 14 June 1974 in Sempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia. He was a basketball player who played as a swingman, alternating between shooting guard and small forward positions. He mostly played in Slovenia, with a few international seasons in Serbia and France.
Sasa played professional basketball for 17 years, from 1993 to 2010. He was called up six times as an All-Star of Slovenia's Championship. After retiring from playing basketball, he became a coach. As a coach, Luka's dad has won Slovenia's second tier twice with Ilirija.
In January 2024, Sasa was named director of sports of the Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS). When announcing at a press conference, KZS president, Matej Erjavec, stated:
I can't think of a better person for this job. Saša was a top-level player, national team member, coach and director of sports.
Sasa has mentored his son in basketball since he was young. He took him to the basketball camp when he was 9 or 10. Sasa loves spending time together with his son whenever an opportunity arises. When speaking to D Magazine in 2023, he said:
Look, Luka went away from home to Spain when he was very young, and you can’t bring those lost moments back. From Madrid, he went to Dallas, so you don’t get to see your child every day or even every week. 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.
Although they are far apart—Luka in Dallas and his dad in Slovenia—they stay connected. Playing an online game of dominoes is a regular part of Luka's pregame ritual.
Mirjam Poterbin
Luka's mom, Mirjam Poterbin, is a former model and dancer. She was well known as the host of the game show Wheel of Fortune. Mirjam competed for the title of Miss Slovenia in 1993. She later decided to open her beauty salon, which allowed her to have a flexible schedule when Luka was born.
She shared this in 2020 on the Zvezdana Show. She stated:
I was lucky to have my own salon, so I could only take clients when Luka was in kindergarten or school, but otherwise we spent all our time together. We played cards, rollerblading. We really did a lot of things.
While speaking with Euroleague Basketball's Table Talk series, she mentioned how her son loved to play basketball since he was young. She said:
Since day one, [when] Luka started to walk he was crazy about basketball. Even when he had birthdays, for the present he always said, ‘I want to have a ball or sneakers.’ That’s it.
Mirjam has been a pillar to her son's career. When Luka signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid at 13, he left Slovenia for Spain. At first, Mirjam was worried about him leaving for Spain. She disclosed her worries in a 2020 interview with WFAA's Jonah Javad. She stated:
In the beginning, honestly, I said, 'Luka, you're really good. You have time. You can go later.' And he looked at me and he said, 'Mom. I want to try.
Source: UGC
Luka was alone in Spain for three years before his mom joined him. Mirjam revealed how hard it was for her.
It was crazy hard. I cannot explain how hard this was. I was crying. I was there every weekend, but I was crying. It was really, really hard.
In 2018, when her son was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks and moved to the United States, Mirjam and her mother, Milena, relocated to the United States to be near him. However, she did not stay with Luka in the same place.
The celebrity mother disclosed that she faced challenges settling in the United States. She mentioned in the aforementioned interview with WFAA.
Maybe, for me, because I didn't have friends. When I came there, I was alone. I was living alone because I didn't live with Luka.
Mirjam and her son, Luka, were involved in a trademark dispute in 2022. Luka filed a petition through his lawyer, Brown Rudnick, to cancel the 'Luka Dončić 7' trademark in September 2022. The two later settled the dispute in December of the same year.
Who are Luka Dončić's siblings?
The NBA player has a younger half-sister named Tijana. Tijana is the daughter of Luka's dad with his long partner, Nikolina Dragičević. Tijana is following in the footsteps of her father and older brother by becoming an athlete. In the previously mentioned interview with Sportal, Sasa spoke about her, saying:
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.
Tijana enjoys watching her brother play as well. In January 2023, she accompanied her dad to the United States to watch him play. Luka was excited about their presence. He stated in a post-game interview with ESPN that:
It's amazing, you know? Just for them to be here to watch me, support me; it's been amazing for me.
FAQs
- Who is Luka Dončić? He is a Slovenian professional basketball player playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
- Where is Luka Dončić from? He was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- How old is Luka Dončić? The NBA player is 26 years old as of 2025. He was born on 28 February 1999.
- Who is Luka Dončić's mother? Her mom is called Mirjam Poterbin.
- Who is Luka Dončić's father? His dad is Sasa Doncic.
- Is Luka Dončić's father Serbian? Yes. Luka's dad is of Serbian descent.
- Who are Luka Dončić's family members? The basketballer's father consist of his parents, Mirjam and Sasa, and his half-sister, Tijana.
- Are Luka Dončić's parents still married? No. Sasa and Mirjam divorced in 2008.
Luka Dončić's parents have significantly influenced his path to success. Their unwavering support for Luka's basketball dreams reflects the love and dedication of his family. Luka has a half-sister named Tijana.
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