When the phone call came in from Luka Doncic’s camp, Pedal Electric initially thought it was too good to be true.
The NBA superstar was looking to gift the entire [Los Angeles Lakers](https://lakersdaily.com/) organization with electric bikes just in time for the holiday season, and he chose Pedal Electric – a local business based in Los Angeles – to do it.
When Luka’s camp calls, you pick up the phone. But you might wonder for a moment if it’s a scam.
> “One of my customer service reps got the call and just inherently thought it was a scam, like fraud,” Pedal Electric CEO and co-founder Spencer Gillis told Lakers Daily. “… All the time, there’ll be people posing as something or trying to do whatever to get a free bike or…just the fraudsters out there.
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> “So, it wasn’t out of line to think, ‘What do you mean Luka Doncic is calling to see if he can gift the entire Lakers organization bikes for Christmas?’”
At a company meeting the next day, the phone call was brought to Gillis’ attention. It was his first time learning of it. He quickly sprang into action and called the number back. He was connected with a member of Doncic’s management team. Gillis’ message during that phone call?
> “I hope this is real. Are you serious that Luka’s interested in doing this?”
The answer? Absolutely.
Gillis was told that Doncic loves Pedal Electric’s bikes and chose Gillis’ company out of a long list of options for the gift project.
The Pedal team worked overtime to fulfill the order and pulled it off over a 12-day span. The order was for over 100 bikes. Seeing members of the Lakers “beyond excited” to receive the bikes was “amazing,” Gillis says.
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It took a chaotic (yet organized) effort to pull it off. The night before the reveal, the Pedal team left the bikes at the Lakers training facility to avoid any logistical issues the next morning.
The day of the reveal, Gillis and members of his team found themselves hiding outside of the training facility to help put the finishing touches on the surprise. He gives major credit to Doncic’s management team for helping to bring it all to life.
Gillis and company were left with one hour to roll the bikes out while Lakers practiced inside. In the end, the surprise was ready to go with moments to spare. When the Lakers walked out, they were elated. Gillis says that was the “coolest part.”
> “It was like they were just a bunch of massive kids,” Gillis explained. “And they were homies too. … We got to talk with them.”
Lakers fans can rest assured that their franchise superstar is a humble guy.
> “It’s just so sick that Luka did that,” Gillis added. “… He was super humble, and just you can clearly tell he just loves his toys.”
Pedal Electric was founded about six years ago. Gillis wanted to add some character to the industry. The brand aims to lead the e-mobility revolution while encompassing a design-first philosophy and supporting a more sustainable future. It’s been a journey.
The way Gillis sees it, he put in years of hard work in hopes of seeing it pay off, and sometimes, maybe something as cool as this can happen. He sees it as a stamp of validation when “arguably the best player in the league…says this is the best electric bike he’s ever been on.”