"Can’t go through another season": Luka Doncic shares update on separation from fiancée

Dubai: Luka Doncic is preparing for another NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but this time without LeBron James alongside him after the veteran star’s departure from the franchise.

With a new-look Lakers team taking shape, Doncic is expected to play an even bigger role as the franchise looks to build around its 27-year-old superstar. However, his focus away from the court remains just as important as he prepares for another demanding season.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Doncic opened about a difficult period in his personal life last season, which saw him spend months away from his two daughters.

The situation came into the spotlight last December when Doncic returned to Slovenia for the birth of his second child, Olivia. While there, he asked his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, if he could bring their older daughter, two-year-old Gabriela, back to the United States with him.

A verbal argument followed, and police were later called to Kranj Maternity Hospital after Doncic had left according to TMZ and ESPN.

Doncic subsequently returned to the United States and rejoined the Lakers, but he did not see his daughters again until April.

Reflecting on that period, Doncic admitted how difficult it was to be away from his children.

“It made everything about last season so hard,” Doncic told Mannix. “You want to be around your kids every day. I saw mine, what, four or five days? It’s impossible to do.”

Doncic and Goltes have since separated. Asked whether the situation had been resolved, the Slovenian star paused before giving a cautious response.

“Hopefully,” he said. “We still don’t know, but hopefully. I can’t go through another season like that.”

As Doncic prepares for a new chapter with the Lakers, he will hope for greater stability both on and off the court. The Lakers opened their preseason with a win against Sacramento Kings before suffering a loss against Golden State Warriors.