Luka Doncic says custody battle led him to skip Slovenia this summer
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Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic said he will give up playing for the Slovenian national team to focus on his daughters while he is in a custody battle with his ex-fiancée Anamaria Goltes.
Doncic said in a post on Instagram early Tuesday that he would spend the summer vacation spending time with them.
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Lakers guard Luka Doncic holds the ball during a timeout in the first half of Game 6 of the first round NBA playoffs against the Houston Rockets on May 1, 2026 in Houston. (Ashley Landis/AP)
“I love my girls more than anything and they will always come first in my life,” a message posted on Instagram Stories read. “While I continue to work for joint custody of my daughters, I had to make the difficult decision between traveling, playing for the Slovenian national team, and being with my daughters this summer. Unfortunately, it has become extremely difficult for me to see them over the last eight months.
“I gave everything to represent Slovenia and I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to play for my country this summer. But right now my priorities are my daughters and my responsibilities as a father.”
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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers watches the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game 2 of the second round of the NBA playoffs on May 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings/AP)
Doncic said at the beginning of this year that he ended his relationship with Goltes because he could not have his daughters with him in the USA this season.
They got engaged in July 2023 and their daughter was born in November 2023 and December 2025, when Doncic left the Lakers and went to Slovenia when his little girl was born.
Goltes filed a petition for child support and attorney fees in California. TMZ Sports has been reported previously.
“I love my daughters more than anything and I am doing everything I can to have them be with me in the USA during the season, but it has not been possible, so I recently made the difficult decision to end my engagement.” he told ESPN In March.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers watches during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on April 11, 2025. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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“Everything I do is for my daughters’ happiness, and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can.”
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
