Lakers' Luka Doncic Explains Decision to Not Play in FIBA World Cup Qualifying for Slovenia
Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Dončić announced Tuesday that he will not play for Slovenia in FIBA World Cup qualifying this summer due to family commitments.
In a post on Instagram (h/t The Stein Line's Marc Stein), Dončić explained that spending time with his daughters during the offseason will take precedence:
"I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life," Dončić wrote. "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."
Dončić informed ESPN's Dave McMenamin in March that he and fiancée Anamaria Goltes had separated, and McMenamin also reported that Dončić was in a custody battle for their daughters.
In his first full season with the Lakers, Dončić enjoyed an MVP-caliber year, leading the NBA in scoring with 33.5 points per game to go along with 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 three-pointers made and 1.6 steals.
Dončić played a major role in the Lakers going 53-29 and securing the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss the team's entire playoff run, including its 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
Late Monday night, Dončić told reporters he "wasn't close" to getting cleared to play at any point during L.A.'s postseason run.
Throughout his international career, Dončić has helped the Slovenian national team achieve some of its greatest successes, including winning EuroBasket 2017 and finishing fourth at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
However, if Slovenia is going to qualify for back-to-back FIBA World Cups, it will have to do so without his contributions.
