Why does Luka Doncic wear 77 on his jersey? All you need to know

Luka Doncic is having a career year in the 2022-23 season. The Dallas Mavericks guard has been on a roll in the past five games, averaging 45.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists.

Thanks to Luka's impressive performances, the Mavericks have won six games in a row and have moved up in the standings. The 23-year-old guard is one of the favorites to win the MVP award this year, and if he keeps playing like this, there is no doubt he will win it.

This article will reveal everything you need to know about Doncic's jersey number. The three-time NBA All-Star picked this number for a reason and wears it for both the Mavericks and Slovenia's national basketball team.

Luka Doncic wears 77 on his jersey to honor his idol

Doncic was born and raised in Slovenia, a small country in Central Europe. Unlike many of his NBA peers, the Mavericks guard grew up idolizing some of the biggest players to ever play in Europe.

Vassilis Spanoulis, a former basketball player from Greece, was Doncic's idol. Besides his impressive career in Europe, Spanoulis also spent some time in the NBA.

Doncic grew up idolozing Vassilis Spanoulis (Image via Getty Images)

After playing professional basketball for more than two decades, the Greek guard decided to retire in 2021. Shortly after his retirement, Luka Doncic talked about the reason why he wears number 77 on his jersey.

"Spanoulis was my idol since I was little. I was watching him. It was kind of sad seeing him retiring. That’s why I wear No 7," Doncic said for EuroHoops.

"I mean, I couldn’t wear No 7, cause it was already taken, so I took 77. He was really, really big time for me."

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It's important to note that Doncic wore number 7 while playing for Real Madrid. However, when he was drafted by the Mavericks, the number was already taken by Dwight Powell, which is why the guard decided to go with number 77.

Vassilis Spanoulis had a long and successful basketball career

Vassilis Spanoulis had a very successful basketball career in Europe. He spent his entire career in Greece, playing with five different teams and winning three EuroLeague championships.

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Spanoulis was also the EuroLeague MVP in 2013.

The 6-foot-4 guard was also a big part of Greece's national team. He won a gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket 2005 and helped his team finish second at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Spanoulis had a brief stint in the NBA as well. He appeared in 31 games for the Houston Rockets during the 2006-07 season, averaging 2.7 points. The guard saw limited playing time in the league, which is why he returned to Europe after one season.