Luka Doncic Makes Personal Decision Before NBA Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 12:46 PM ET

Luka Doncic was putting together one of the best seasons of his career before injury stopped it abruptly. The Los Angeles Lakers star suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Los Angeles’ April 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. An MRI confirmed the strain the next day, ruling him out for the rest of the regular season and potentially the opening round of the playoffs.

The injury was a major blow to the Lakers and also Doncic’s MVP case. Before going down, he was leading the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game, while also averaging 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 64 games.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77).William Liang-Imagn Images

Since the injury, Doncic has traveled to Europe for specialized treatment in an effort to speed up recovery. After beginning stem-cell therapy in Madrid earlier in the week, Slovenian outlet Ekipa reported Saturday that Doncic is now in Ljubljana, where he is spending time with his two daughters while continuing rehab.

According to the report, the six-time All-Star will soon return to Madrid for the second phase of treatment before flying back to Los Angeles to rejoin the Lakers.

Slovenian media reports that Luka Dončić is currently in Slovenia, where he is spending some time with his two daughters while continuing his recovery process.
He is expected to return to Madrid in the coming days to begin the second phase of his hamstring rehabilitation, a key… pic.twitter.com/Zyky96ot6E
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 11, 2026

Family remains a vital part of Doncic’s life. In a December interview with Rap artist Snoop Dogg, he discussed his two daughters, Gabriela and Olivia, and how fatherhood helped him become a better person. Off the court, Doncic is also reportedly dealing with an ongoing custody-related legal dispute involving his former fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, though neither side has publicly discussed details.

Meanwhile, the Lakers enter Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Utah Jazz holding the No. 4 seed in the West. If the standings hold, Los Angeles is lined up for a first-round series against the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets, and their postseason ceiling may depend entirely on how quickly Doncic can make it back.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: