The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t the only brand that stands to benefit from acquiring former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić.
Jordan Brand, the Nike-owned apparel company inspired by NBA legend Michael Jordan, will also get a boost from one of the biggest trades in NBA history. At least that’s how fellow Jordan Brand athlete and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua—once nicknamed “Puka Dončić” by LeBron James—feels about it.
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“He’s a global superstar,” Nacua, who has become a diehard Lakers fan since joining the Rams in 2023, said in a phone interview. “[Luka] coming from a different country and now coming to one of the biggest markets in world [with] one of the best organizations in the NBA—that’s big-time for Jordan Brand. He’ll bring new eyes and new fans. He’s a whole new personality in LA, and that’s a huge thing.”
Nacua is one of nearly two dozen players on the Jordan Brand football roster. Other members of the club include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller Jalen Hurts (who Nacua says he’ll be cheering on versus the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night). The former high school basketball standout from Utah also has other endorsement deals with companies like Gatorade and Toyota.
But the Pro Bowl wideout, who just finished his second NFL campaign, is a more recent addition to the Jordan family. He signed his deal last spring after a sensational rookie season. He seems especially new to the scene when compared to Dončić, who became the company’s first European born-and-raised signature athlete when he shifted over from parent company Nike to Jordan Brand in 2019.
Nacua starred in the NBA’s All-Star celebrity game last season and has dreams of playing pro basketball overseas after his NFL career. He looks forward to rooting Dončić on following the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. “Hopefully he can get me some courtside seats,” Nacua said with a laugh. “I love being in an LA and watching the teams win, but to have another Jordan superstar [around] is freaking awesome.”
Dončić expressed surprise over the trade in his introductory Lakers press conference. The deal cost him tens of millions of dollars, because it made him ineligible for a super max extension.
Still, the 25-year-old is positioned to potential gain some ground financially though playing alongside arguably the best player of all-time in James, and for one of the most recognizable brands in sports in the Lakers.
In a potential sign of what LA might do for his celebrity status, Dončić went from having the sixth most popular jersey in the NBA to No. 1 this week.
“The team brand has significant influence on the athlete brand,” Temple University sports marketing professor and consultant Thilo Kunkel said in a phone interview. “Los Angeles is an internationally known team, and with Luka being an international player, it’s a good match for him. That subsequently has a flow-in effect on his sponsors, from exposure to sales.”
The Slovenian’s arrival to Los Angeles coincides with a recently launched Jordan Brand campaign that highlights the 40th anniversary of the Jordan 1 sneaker. In nostalgic fashion, the brand has turned back the clock to shed light on how the Nike would pay when the NBA fined Michael Jordan every time he wore his signature red and black shoes, which then violated the league’s dress code rules in 1985.
Dončić, who signed a major extension with the Jordan Brand in 2023, could help drive sales in a change of scenery with his “Purple Comet” colorway for the Luka 3 signature show releasing Feb. 18.
The Lakers are looking for their first title since 2020, with Dončić possibility making his Lakers debut this weekend, according to head coach JJ Redick.
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