Lakers fans may have received encouraging news regarding Luka Doncic from an unexpected source: Los Angeles County Family Court. Doncic, sidelined since April 2 with a hamstring strain, has agreed to postpone a hearing in his ongoing custody dispute with model Anamaria Goltes from mid-May to later this summer.
According to court filings obtained by The Daily Mail, Doncic's attorney Laura Wasser agreed to several dates, all of which occur on or after June 18. Interestingly, the latest possible date for the NBA Finals would be a potential Game 7 on June 19. Regardless, the court has rescheduled the hearing for August 14.
Doncic recently made an emotional return to his and Goltes' native Slovenia to reunite with his two young daughters, according to reports. He initially traveled to Spain to begin an intensive, specialized rehabilitation program in Madrid, where he previously played professionally as a teenager. After completing the first phase of his recovery, Doncic flew from Spain to Ljubljana to spend quality time with daughters Gabriela and Olivia, as reported by Ekipa.
The reunion provided a rare moment of family joy for the 27-year-old as he continues to navigate an increasingly messy legal separation from his childhood sweetheart. Doncic made the 'tough decision' to end his engagement with Goltes in March, just months after the birth of their second daughter, Olivia.
'I love my daughters more than anything and I've been doing everything I can for them to be with me in the US during the season, but that hasn't been possible, so I recently made the tough decision to end my engagement,' he said in a statement provided to ESPN. 'Everything I do is for my daughters' happiness and I will always fight to be with them and give them the best life I can.'
The split has turned bitter, with Doncic accusing Goltes of filing for child support in California to 'avail herself' of the state's generous payment laws. Court documents reveal Doncic filed a motion to dismiss the petition, arguing that neither Goltes nor the children are actual residents of California. The upcoming hearing, moved from May to August, was scheduled to address Doncic's motion to dismiss. Doncic wants the dispute settled in their home nation of Slovenia, where he had already initiated a family law action in March.
Doncic suffered the injury during an April 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a massive blow to both the Lakers and his own MVP aspirations. Before the injury, he was leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game, while also averaging 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in a historic year.
Meanwhile, the Lakers hold a surprising 3-1 lead over the favored Houston Rockets in their first-round series. Rockets star Kevin Durant is questionable with an ankle injury for Wednesday's Game 5 in LA, where Houston will be facing elimination. The Daily Mail has sought comment from both Doncic's attorney and Goltes.
