In a holiday gesture that caught just about everyone off guard, Luka Dončić pulled off one of the cooler off-court assists we’ve seen in a while - and it didn’t involve a basketball.
The Mavericks superstar reached out to Pedal Electric, a Los Angeles-based e-bike company, with a simple but stunning request: he wanted to gift every member of the Los Angeles Lakers organization an electric bike for the holidays. Not just a few players. The entire organization.
At first, Pedal Electric didn’t believe it.
“One of our customer service reps thought it was a scam,” said Spencer Gillis, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “You get calls all the time from people pretending to be someone they’re not, trying to get free stuff. So when someone says Luka Dončić wants to buy over 100 bikes for the Lakers, you’re going to raise an eyebrow.”
But it wasn’t a scam. It was the real deal. When Gillis followed up the next day and connected with Dončić’s team, the message was clear: Luka wasn’t just serious - he specifically wanted their bikes.
Why Pedal Electric? According to Dončić’s camp, Luka’s a fan.
He loves the product and handpicked the company from a long list of options. That alone is a pretty strong endorsement, especially coming from one of the league’s biggest names.
From there, it was all hands on deck. The Pedal team had just 12 days to prep, build, and deliver over 100 e-bikes.
That’s a tall order for any company, let alone a local brand with a tight production window during the busiest time of the year. But they pulled it off.
The night before the surprise, Pedal staff dropped off the bikes at the Lakers’ training facility to avoid any last-minute logistical chaos. On reveal day, Gillis and his team were tucked away outside the building, working behind the scenes to make sure everything went off without a hitch.
They had just one hour to roll out the bikes while the Lakers were inside practicing. And they nailed it - finishing with just minutes to spare.
When the players and staff walked out to see a sea of brand-new electric bikes waiting for them, the reaction was priceless.
“It was like watching a bunch of oversized kids on Christmas morning,” Gillis said. “They were just hyped. You could tell they were close - just a bunch of guys who genuinely enjoy being around each other.”
And Dončić? He didn’t make a big show of it.
No press conference. No fanfare.
Just a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes move that spoke volumes about his character.
“It’s just so sick that Luka did that,” Gillis said. “He was super humble. You can tell he just loves his toys - and he wanted to share that joy.”
For Pedal Electric, the moment was more than just a celebrity endorsement. It was validation.
The company, which launched about six years ago with a design-first approach to e-mobility, has been grinding to carve out its place in a crowded market. To have one of the NBA’s best not only ride their bikes but champion them in such a big way?
That’s a milestone.
“When arguably the best player in the league says this is the best electric bike he’s ever been on - that means something,” Gillis said.
It’s not every day you see a cross-conference star go out of his way to surprise a rival franchise with a gift like this. But that’s Luka - a guy who plays with joy, leads with humility, and clearly appreciates a good ride.
And for the Lakers? Well, they’ve got a new set of wheels for the holidays - and a story they won’t forget anytime soon.