The reason why Luka Doncic wears number 77 revealed: It’s in honour of this European basketball legend

The world of basketball was rocked recently as news broke that saw the Los Angeles Lakers confirming the signing of Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-way trade that also involved the Utah Jazz, with the Texans receiving Anthony Davis.

Upon being unveiled by the LA outfit, the 25-year-old claimed: ‘I’m happy for this incredible opportunity. Basketball is everything to me, wherever I play, I will play with the same passion and the same goal: to win titles’.

The Slovenian will wear the number 77 for the Lakers with the point guard wearing this same number since making his NBA debut on 17 October 2018 against the Suns in Phoenix.

It’s anticipated that the point guard makes his Laker debut on Monday (February 10) in the home game against Utah.

From 7 to 77

During his time playing basketball in Europe, Doncic only wore the No. 7 jersey and this was based on his admiration for Vassilis Spanoulis. ‘He was my idol since I was a kid... That’s why I wear number 7’, Doncic explained to Eurohoops in 2021. Kill Bill’s influence on his career had been very ‘big’.

When Doncic moved to Dallas in 2018, given that his teammate Dwight Powell had already selected No. 7, Doncic decided that the ideal solution to the problem was to add another 7 to the single digit. The Mavs No. 77 has been one of the most popular jerseys in the NBA over the past years and it’s surely a question of time before the yellow Lakers jersey gets the same global acclaim.

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