Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic opened up about the difficult family situation he faced last season, explaining that being separated from his daughters and seeing them only a handful of times took a major emotional toll on him.
Credit ZUMA Press-Scanpix
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic dealt with serious personal issues away from basketball last season, which made an already demanding year even more difficult for him.
While much of the attention remained on his performances and the Lakers' season, Doncic was also dealing with a difficult family situation behind the scenes. His split from fiancée Anamaria Goltes, along with the ongoing situation involving their children and child support, became a major off-court issue during the season.
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Doncic opened up about how off-court family struggles affected his performance last season.
He explained that being unable to see his children made the season especially difficult to navigate.
"It made everything about last season so hard," Doncic said. "You want to be around your kids every day. I saw mine, what, four or five days? It's impossible to do."
When asked if the situation has been resolved, Doncic paused, expressing hope that it will be soon.
"Hopefully," he said. "We still don't know, but hopefully. I can't go through another season like that."
Luka Doncic seeks to bring two daughters to United States
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic
According to recent reports, Luka Doncic is determined to spend the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season with his daughters around.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers superstar has filed a petition under international law to have his two children brought to the United States from Slovenia.
"Nothing is more important to me than my daughters," Doncic said in a statement. "I will do whatever it takes to make sure they have both parents present in their lives."
Considering Luka Doncic's intention to use the international rule, he will be filing a Hague Convention petition. Filings of this nature are made under the Hague Convention, which "seeks to organize or secure effective exercise of rights of access to child."
Doncic's daughters, Gabriela and Olivia, are currently in Slovenia. The Los Angeles Lakers guard spent his entire NBA offseason with his children.
Doncic notably entered a bitter legal dispute with his former partner and fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, who previously filed a child support and legal fees case in LA but eventually withdrew it.
Goltes has yet to provide comment or response on Luka Doncic
So far, according to Woike, Anamaria Goltes' camp has yet to provide comment about Doncic's latest legal move.
Following LeBron James' departure, Doncic is slated to lead the new era of the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2026-27 NBA season.
As such, amid the forthcoming grind and pressure he will face in guiding the Lakers, the Slovenian star hopes for the presence of his daughters around him for the whole basketball year.
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