Luka Dončić Vows Not to Repeat Last Season's Family Separation

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić stated he cannot endure another season with such limited contact with his daughters, emphasizing his desire for more consistent time with them. The basketball player's personal life was significantly impacted last season by a public breakup with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, which led to a custody dispute over their two children, Gabriela and Olivia.

Dončić revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated that his daughters spent nearly the entire season in Slovenia with Goltes, preventing him from seeing them for extended periods. He noted that he was only able to see them for five days throughout the entire season, a situation he described as "impossible to do." The only exception was his return to Slovenia in December for the birth of his second daughter.

"I didn’t see them almost the whole season. Yeah, I can’t go another season like that," Dončić said. "You want to spend time with your kids every day. So, last season was pretty hard. I saw them for five days in the whole season, which is impossible to do. But you know, I had to focus on basketball."

In an effort to improve the situation, Dončić recently filed a petition under the Hague Convention. This legal action aims to have his daughters brought from Slovenia to the United States. The outcome of this petition will determine whether he can achieve more regular access to his children, a situation he is clearly determined to change after the difficulties of the previous season.