Luka Doncic Announces Personal Decision After Lakers Elimination

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoff on Monday night in a close 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After getting swept, Luka Doncic, who didn’t play over the final month of the regular season or playoffs, made a big personal decision. In order to spend more time with his two daughters, Doncic will not be playing for the Slovenian national team this summer.

"I love my daughters more than anything, and they will always come first in my life," Doncic 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."

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"Unfortunately, it has been made extremely difficult for me to see them over the past eight months," he wrote.

The 27-year-old added that missing out on time with Slovenia was not an easy decision, given his long history with the national team.

"I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer," Doncic wrote. "But right now, my daughters and my responsibilities as a father are my priority."

Doncic also revealed he “wasn’t close” to returning to the Lakers starting lineup despite calls from fans – and WWE legend Ric Flair – to suffer through the pain to play.

With the Lakers eliminated, Doncic will have plenty to time to get healthy for next season.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 10:37 AM.