Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic has returned to Slovenia for the offseason, choosing family time over international play after suffering a postseason-ending injury.
The 27-year-old star missed the entire 2026 NBA Playoffs with a Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring, an injury that sidelined him for the Lakers’ second-round loss. Once the team’s season concluded, Doncic announced he would skip Slovenia’s FIBA World Cup qualifying games to concentrate on gaining joint custody of his two daughters.
Photos and video shared by Legion Hoops on May 25 show Doncic walking with his children in a Slovenian park, marking his first public reunion with them since the season ended.
Doncic’s decision places family ahead of basketball during the summer months. While he remains committed to returning to full health for the 2026-27 NBA campaign, his immediate schedule centers on time with his daughters.
Before the injury setbacks—Doncic’s hamstring issue and a Grade 2 left oblique strain that kept guard Austin Reaves out at the start of the postseason—the Lakers had won their final regular-season games and believed they were positioned for a title run. Doncic has stated the club was a legitimate championship threat prior to the injuries.
The guard is expected to begin on-court rehabilitation later this summer, but no timetable has been set by the team.
Source: Lakers Nation
