A nightmare year for Luka Doncic has gone from bad to worse. Within just a few months, the superstar has been hit by a wave of misfortune both on and off the hardwood.
After playing the best basketball of his life in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, the Slovenian guard found himself in the middle of a brutal family drama with his longtime partner, Anamaria Goltes, leading to their broken engagement.
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Shortly after, a shocking report emerged claiming that Doncic hasn’t seen his two daughters since their birth and that Goltes was seeking child support under California law, despite being in Slovenia since last May.
Doncic would be skipping the Slovenia NT’s summer qualifiers
While this off-court turmoil seemingly didn’t hinder Luka’s performances as he made a late-season push for MVP, a devastating hamstring injury ultimately sidelined him when his team needed him most. The Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, leaving Doncic injured and empty-handed.
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The day after their elimination, Doncic took to “Instagram” to announce with a heavy heart that he would be skipping the Slovenia national team’s summer qualifiers for next year’s FIBA World Cup in Qatar to focus on his child custody battle.
While Slovenia’s upcoming matchups are winnable without him, we know the immense pride Doncic takes in representing his country, a commitment that dates back to their historic EuroBasket gold medal in 2017. However, according to an exclusive story from Slovenian media, the NBA scoring champ didn’t exactly skip out of his own free will as his ex-fiancée held all the cards.
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“However, things got complicated when it came to trying to spend time with his daughters. And of course, it’s not just about how it looks at first glance. Everyone knows the summer is long enough for both the love of Gabriela and Olivia and a few national team games. But as our sources correctly revealed to Blic, the issue is that there will be specific dates for both meetings and treatments throughout the entire summer, and Luka simply cannot afford to miss a single one,” the Slovenian media outlet “Ekipa” reports.
Fixed court dates for hearings and visitations have been scheduled throughout the summer. The report suggests that any absence due to national team duties could be used against him in court.
“The matter is simple. In any other normal circumstances, Doncic would have enough time for his children and the national team — but physically, he cannot. Unbelievable, but damn true. Furthermore, according to our information, his ex-fiancée could use any absence against him. That she would actually do so is clear from the fact that — according to our confidential but reliable source — she already did it last summer,” they added.
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Legal fight for joint custody
Doncic is continuing the legal fight for joint custody of his two daughters, and reading between the lines, the cost is massive. This marks the first summer the 6-foot-8 guard will miss in his entire career. The wedding that was supposed to take place in less than two months, with the girl he has known since 2011 and dated since he was 16, has turned into a nightmare with no end in sight.
As for Slovenia, they secured the top spot in their group with a 3-1 record and will face bottom-dwellers Sweden and Estonia in a month. But without Luka, the path ahead is much steeper.
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It’s clear, however, that despite his love for the NT uniform, the weight of his personal life has become his primary focus.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.