Doncic to miss FIBA qualifiers: “My daughters come before everything else”
After his injury and the Lakers’ first-round sweep, Luka Doncic announced on social media that he will not take part in Slovenia’s summer commitments. According to the provided article, the decision is tied to a difficult personal period in which he has chosen to put his two daughters first
Luka Doncic will not be part of Slovenia’s upcoming FIBA qualifiers. The Los Angeles Lakers star, after already missing the entire NBA postseason because of a Grade 2 hamstring injury, officially announced his absence, saying the decision is connected to personal family matters involving shared custody of his daughters.
The separation and legal battle
The personal situation accelerated in March 2026, when Doncic and longtime partner Anamaria Goltes called off their engagement and announced their separation. Since then, the two have reportedly entered a difficult custody dispute. Through his social media channels, Doncic expressed his frustration with the situation:
I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life. As I continue working to obtain joint custody of my daughters… unfortunately, over the last eight months it has been extremely difficult for me to see them. I have given everything to represent Slovenia and I am disappointed that I won’t be able to play for my country this summer. But right now my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority
Luka Doncic via Instagram
The signs during the injury rehab
The first signs of this decision reportedly emerged last April. While he was in Europe receiving PRP injections (platelet-rich plasma) to treat his leg injury, the Slovenian star has returned his home country to spend several days with his daughters between treatment sessions.
It’s very frustrating. Some people wanted me back. But obviously I was nowhere close to being ready to return. There were some things reported in the media that weren’t true… If I could be on the court, I would be, 100%
Luka Doncic
Despite criticism on social media regarding his absence, Doncic reportedly repeated the same message during his final season-ending press conference with the Lakers after their playoff elimination against the Thunder: the first goal of his summer is spending time with his daughters. The second is working on his body to be ready for next NBA season.
A historic decision for Slovenia
For the Slovenian national team, this is a major loss ahead of qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. Doncic has been the cornerstone of the program since making his debut at age 16, and after helping lead the country to its historic EuroBasket title, he had participated in every major international competition.
In a time of significant personal tension, the player has chosen to sacrifice national team duty for the first time in order to focus on what the article describes as the most difficult game of his life: family.