Luka Dončić is currently engaged in a custody dispute with his ex-fiancée, but the NBA star has said that playing the game of basketball provides him with stability during this difficult time.
Speaking on Thursday (March 12), after a standout performance for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he poured in 51 points during a win over the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena, the star guard explained how he manages to stay focused on the court despite the challenges unfolding away from it.
Responding to a reporter from his home country of Slovenia, Dončić kept details of the situation private but acknowledged that he has learned to separate his professional responsibilities from his personal life.
“This is my job," he said. "So I have to be here. They pay me a lot of money to play for them. Basketball also gives me some kind of peace of mind because I’m playing the game."
Dončić recently confirmed that he and longtime partner Anamaria Goltes have ended their relationship after years together. The couple share two young daughters and had been engaged since 2023.
According to reports, the breakup has led to an ongoing custody dispute. Court filings show Goltes submitted a petition for child support in Los Angeles County shortly before the split became public. Authorities were also reportedly called during a recent encounter between the two in Slovenia last December, though police said they did not find evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Despite the off-court stress, Dončić has continued to perform at an elite level. Thursday’s game marked his second appearance since news of the split surfaced publicly. In his previous outing, a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, he finished with 31 points.
The 27-year-old said moments outside of basketball have also helped him keep perspective. Dončić recently visited patients at the UCLA Health medical center, an experience he described as grounding.
"You go there and then you realize you don’t have any problems in your life at all," he said. "Health is the most important thing in life."
