Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has announced he will not play for the Slovenian national team this summer, choosing instead to focus on his two daughters amid an ongoing custody battle with his former fiancée, Anamaria Goltes.
In a statement posted to his Instagram Stories early Tuesday, Doncic said, "I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life." He noted that pursuing joint custody has made it "extremely difficult" to see them over the past eight months.
Doncic ended his engagement with Goltes earlier this year after being unable to have his daughters with him during the NBA season in the U.S. The couple became engaged in July 2023, and their daughters were born in November 2023 and December 2025. Goltes has filed a petition for child support and attorney fees in California.
"I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer," Doncic added. "But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority."