Lakers' Luka Doncic, Fiancee Anamaria Goltes Announce Birth of Daughter in IG Photo
The question of Luka Dončić's recent two-game absence from the Los Angeles Lakers has been answered.
On Saturday, Dončić and his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, announced the birth of their daughter Olivia on Instagram.
Dončić, who has not played since Dec. 1 against the Phoenix Suns, is expected to return to the lineup Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers following the birth of his daughter, per The Athletic's Dan Woike.
Olivia is the second child for Dončić and Goltes. Their first daughter, Gabriela, was born in December 2023. The couple got engaged on July 7, 2023, with the date (7-7) matching Dončić's jersey No. 77.
After the Lakers' 126-105 loss to the Celtics on Friday night, head coach JJ Redick was asked about Dončić's return to the team. He didn't have a definite date, only saying it would be "soon" and possibly as early as Sunday when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Sunday will mark the final game of the Lakers' three-game Eastern Conference road trip. They will return to Crypto.com Arena for Wednesday's game against the Utah Jazz before going back on the road for three games against Western Conference opponents.
Starting with a Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets, the Lakers will play five consecutive games in Los Angeles.
Dončić's first full season with the Lakers is going incredibly well, on and off the court. He is leading the NBA in scoring average (35.3 points per game), ranks fourth in assists (8.9) and 19th in rebounds (8.9).
The Lakers are currently third in the West with a 16-6 record.
