This summer, Luka Doncic will not be playing for Slovenia. Dončić said on Instagram that he will not be playing for Slovenia in FIBA World Cup qualification shortly after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. Rather, in the midst of his custody dispute, Dončić promised to spend as much time as possible with his two girls.
The Lakers’ Luka Dončić announced tonight via Instagram that he will not play for Slovenia’s national team this summer in FIBA World Cup qualifying to spend as much offseason time as possible with his two daughters as he continues to try to secure joint custody. pic.twitter.com/0D9DzKKJRM
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 12, 2026
In March, Doncic announced that he and Anamaria Goltes, his fiancée, had broken up. He proposed to her for the first time in July 2023 after they had been dating since 2016. Later that year, they had their first daughter, and in December, the couple’s second child was born in Slovenia.
Goltes filed a petition requesting child support and other payments following their separation, which sparked the custody dispute between Dončić and their two daughters. Dončić took a temporary leave of absence from the Lakers to attend the birth of his second daughter in Slovenia, but police were reportedly summoned after an incident occurred in the hospital. Dončić left without incident and took a plane back to the US that same day. No charges were brought against him. He hadn’t seen Goltes or any of his daughters since mid-March.
In his first full season with the Lakers, Dončić averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds. Due to a persistent hamstring injury, he hasn’t played since April 2 and missed the entire postseason.
