A strained left hamstring prevented Luka Doncic from being on the court when the Los Angeles Lakers had their season come to an end, and an ongoing custody battle for his two daughters is going to prevent the proud Slovenian from representing his country this summer.
Immediately after the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic announced he has withdrawn from being on the Team Slovenia roster for their upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifying games.
Luka Doncic explains skipping FIBA games
“I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life,” Doncic wrote in an Instagram story. “As I continue working toward joint custody of my daughters, I have been forced to make a difficult decision between traveling and playing for the Slovenian national team and being with my daughters this summer. Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months.
“I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer. But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority.”
Doncic further made clear his intention to spend time with his daughters during a de facto exit interview after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss.
“First of all, I want to spend time with my daughters. That’s probably the only thing that’s on my mind right now,” he said of the focus for this offseason. “Second of all, obviously, get the work in and come back ready for the season.”
Last month, Doncic confirmed he had separated from his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes. That was publicly revealed as the two already were in the midst of a custody battle over their two daughters, Gabriela and Olivia. Gabriel is three years old and Olivia was born last December.
At the end of April it was reported Doncic and his attorney, Laura Wasser, agreed to a request to push a hearing date in the custody battle into later this summer. It originally been scheduled for May 14, which would’ve meant taking place while the Lakers were potentially still in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Luka Doncic’s history on Slovenian national team
Doncic famously was only 16 years old when he debuted on the Slovenian team. He was just 17 years old upon leading them to a EuroBasket title, and Doncic has been a mainstay on the Slovenian national team roster for every international competition since that point.
Slovenia is looking to succeed in the qualification process that will determine 31 of 32 teams for 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Qatar, the host nation, received an automatic qualification for the tournament.
Just like with the 2019 and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, games are being held in six different windows over a 15-month period. The qualification process started last November and continues into March 2027.
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