Sometimes the toughest battles happen off the court, folks. And Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić is going through something that no amount of basketball talent can fix.
According to ESPN's reporting, Dončić has separated from his fiancée Anamaria Goltes and is in the middle of a painful custody battle over their two young daughters - Gabriela (born November 2023) and Olivia (born December 2024).
"I love my daughters more than anything and I've been doing everything I can for them," Dončić said in a statement. "Everything I do is for my daughters' happiness."
The situation is heartbreaking. Dončić and Goltes dated since 2016, got engaged in July 2023, and welcomed two daughters together. Gabriela was born in the United States while he was playing for Dallas. Olivia was born in Slovenia after his trade to Los Angeles, and Dončić actually missed Lakers games in early December to be present for the birth.
But things fell apart quickly. According to court documents, a disagreement occurred in Slovenia when Dončić tried to bring Gabriela back to the United States, resulting in police involvement - though no criminal charges were filed. Since arriving in Los Angeles in late September, he has seen his daughters only two days.
Goltes filed a petition in California seeking child support and attorney fees. responded by filing an interim injunction in Slovenian courts in February, seeking contact with both children. Sources indicate he provides unlimited financial support for his daughters' expenses, but the custody arrangement remains unresolved.
