Luka Doncic Prioritizing Custody Battle Over Playing for Slovenia

After the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, superstar Luka Doncic announced he would not be playing for Slovenia this summer.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the bench in the final minutes of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Doncic said he is prioritizing spending time with his two daughters amid a custody battle between him and his ex-fiancée Anamaria Goltes. Doncic and Goltes separated in March, and Doncic said it has been difficult for him to see his two daughters over the past eight months.

“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life. As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer. Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months.

“I have given everything to representing Slovenia and l am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer. But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority,” Doncic wrote on social media.

Doncic’s oldest daughter is 3-year-old Gabriela, and his youngest daughter, Olivia, was born in December.

In a statement he released to ESPN in March, Doncic said he has only been able to see his daughters twice since Lakers’ training camp began on Sept. 26. He said that he wants to be able to bring his daughters to the United States during the NBA season but was not able to this season.