Lakers Superstar Luka Doncic Announces Major Personal News

Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic has been having a pretty good year, both on and off the court.

Now in his first full season with the Lakers after a shocking midseason trade this February, Doncic leads the NBA with 35.3 points per game and has been the best player on a Lakers team that is second in the Western Conference.

Doncic sits behind just Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver's Nikola Jokic with the third-shortest odds for the NBA MVP award, according to FanDuel.

To add to his success on the court, Doncic and his fiance Anamaria Goltes welcomed his second child, Olivia, in an Instagram post on Friday. Doncic missed the past two games, including the Lakers' 126-105 loss against the Boston Celtics because of his daughter's birth, but was not listed on the team's official injury report for their Sunday matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, indicating he will be available to play.

The Lakers will look to rebound against the 76ers after a disappointing showing against the Celtics. Playing without both Doncic and LeBron James, the Lakers were bullied on defense as Boston's offense scored with ease.

“At the end of the day, our job is to come out here on the court and that starting group, me included, we’re supposed to come out with a bang, come out with some pop and kind of get the game going. And it just didn’t happen," said forward Jake LaRavia, who started in James' absence and finished with six points.

Heading into Sunday, the Lakers had lost two of their last three after sustaining a seven-game win streak. Without a nifty assist from James to forward Rui Hachimura — which both ended James' legendary double-digit scoring streak while also leading to a buzzer beater from Hachimura — the Lakers would have been 0-3 to start December.

Luka Doncic's Return Lifted LA

Doncic's return to the lineup provided a boost to a team that is on pace to be a serious contender in the Western Conference. In a 112-108 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, Doncic notched a 31-point, 15-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.

Whether they have enough talent on their current roster to compete for a title remains a question, as many in the media are linking the Lakers to trades involving strong defensive players to complement the dominant Lakers offense.